Ibrahima Konate is being courted by Real Madrid as his contract at Liverpool runs down, but well-placed sources have intimated his “priority is to renew” his deal.
That is according to Liverpool journalist David Lynch who, when speaking to Sports Mole, explained conversations with “people close to Konate himself.”
“At the moment, I still get the feeling that the priority is to renew with Liverpool,” Lynch said.
“And there are talks there, but it’s kind of stuck at the moment, it’s not progressing, which is a shame.
“But I don’t think it’s reached a point of no return and the player’s definitely decided to go to Real Madrid, I don’t get that feeling at all.”
This comes following new reports from Spanish newspaper MARCA on Wednesday claiming that Liverpool “suspect” Real Madrid have “already done the work they needed to do with the defender for next season.”
Having already convinced Trent Alexander-Arnold to see out his contract in order to secure a cut-price deal for the right-back this summer, there is a sense that the same could develop if Konate’s talks continue to stall.
However, Lynch suggested the situation is not exactly the same as with Alexander-Arnold, with Konate not “desperate to get out.”
“That possibility is 100 percent on the table, but we’re still in a moment where there’s hope of a breakthrough,” he continued.
“The player is not desperate to get out of Liverpool, he’s not desperate to go to Real Madrid. It’s not in that situation quite yet.
“But I think Liverpool are going to have to put a contract on the table that is attractive to the player and as of yet that hasn’t happened.”
Konate’s current salary is reported to be around £80,000 a week with the Frenchman’s representatives seeking an increase to closer to £200,000 per week.
That would move him into the upper bracket of earners at Anfield but it can certainly be argued that, having turned 26 in May and as a key player in Arne Slot‘s defence, he deserves that status.
Much could depend on the availability of other options, too, with Liverpool known to be pursuing a deal for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi.
Whether Guehi, whose own deal also expires next summer, is seen as a potential replacement for Konate or simply another elite addition to Slot’s centre-back options remains to be seen.
But Liverpool’s interest in the England international could certainly put pressure on their No. 5 as negotiations over a new contract continue.
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