Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate is set to leave the club at the end of next month after failing to agree terms on a new contract, according to multiple reports.
The centre-back said in April that he was close to reaching an agreement with the club on a new deal.
But the 27-year-old is now set to head for pastures new, leaving Liverpool with a major headache in an area of the team where they lack strength in depth.
Konate has plenty of options after Liverpool’s exit
“There are a lot of things that people have said but we have talked for a long time with the club and we are close to reaching an agreement,” Konate told reporters after Liverpool’s Merseyside derby victory over Everton.
“I think everyone wanted to achieve this as soon as possible, but we are doing well.”
“For sure, there is a big chance that I will stay here next season. This is what I always wanted.”
But that opportunity has now evaporated, with Konate ending a five-year association with the club he joined from RB Leipzig in 2021.
Konate won four major trophies with Liverpool, including… Premier League title in 2025.
The France international has made 183 appearances for the Reds, scoring seven goals, and is likely to have plenty of suitors to sign him as a free agent.
Real Madrid have been heavily linked with a move for Konate in recent times, while Paris Saint-Germain are now reportedly vying for his signature, along with Liverpool’s Premier League rivals Chelsea.
Konate is set to head to the World Cup finals with France, and Konate’s future may not be decided until after that tournament, as France are among the favorites to win the title.
Leaving Liverpool short at centre-back
Even with Konate and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence, the Reds struggled defensively in the 2025-26 season.
Only seven teams have conceded more goals than the 53 Liverpool have conceded this season, and Arne Slott’s men are suffering a major decline defensively after conceding 41 goals in the 2024-25 season on their way to winning the title.
Both Van Dijk and Konate have been guilty of inconsistency this season, although Liverpool’s main issues in defense relate to the full-back positions, with Jeremy Frimpong and Milos Kerkez both struggling in their first seasons at the club.
Despite his often uneven form, losing Konate represents a major setback for Liverpool.
Van Dijk will leave at the end of next season, and with Konate gone, Liverpool’s only other experienced centre-back is Joe Gomez.
Gomez is entering the final year of his contract and has been linked with a move after playing sparingly this season.
Liverpool have two interesting young defenders on their books, in Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet, who will join the club this summer after signing a pre-contract in February.
Leoni (19 years old) suffered a tear in his anterior cruciate ligament in his first appearance last September after joining from Parma. A fee that could rise to £60m reflects how much Liverpool are thinking about Jacquet, but the reality is that the Reds will now likely need to enter the transfer market again to sign a more experienced centre-back who can ensure they do not need to rely on Leoni and Jacquet as heavily.
Losing Konate on a free is a painful blow for Liverpool, and leaves them with more work to do as they try to bounce back from a disappointing season.
