Liverpool risk losing key centre-back over contract stand-off
Ibrahima Konaté's Liverpool Future in Doubt
Liverpool fans woke up to troubling headlines, as The Guardian reported that Ibrahima Konaté is 'disappointed with Liverpool contract offers as talks stall.' On the latest episode of The Daily Red Podcast by Anfield Index, Guy Drinkel delivered a detailed and impassioned analysis of the situation. Konaté, affectionately referred to as 'Ibu' by fans, is entering the final year of his current deal, and negotiations to extend his stay appear far from resolved.
Drinkel didn't hold back. 'We just have to get it done,' he insisted. 'People have fitness concerns, but you do have to roll the dice with players who are world class.' He acknowledged those concerns but pointed to the French defender's undeniable quality when fit. 'We saw the first half of last season, he was just as good as Van Dijk when fully fit and in the groove.'
Pay Konaté What He's Worth
Money is at the heart of the matter. Rumours suggest Konaté wants £200,000 per week, roughly what Virgil van Dijk was on before his latest renewal. 'If we've got 26-year-old Ibu and we contract him for another five years and he goes on to 31… 200 grand a week is nothing,' said Drinkel. 'Especially with the growing wages, the Saudi influence, the Real Madrid power plays.'
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He questioned the club's hesitation, particularly given the precedent of paying Thiago Alcântara a high wage package upon arrival. 'If he's anywhere like 250 [thousand] and below… just get it done,' Drinkel urged. 'I know we're not businessmen, but as a fan, like I don't care if we're saving an extra 20 grand a week. Just get Ibu paid.'
Replacement Talk Sparks Anxiety
While links to Crystal Palace's Marc Guéhi offer an exciting alternative, they also signal potential unease about Konaté's future. 'Is Guéhi more the Quansah replacement or is he seen as the Ibu replacement?' Drinkel asked. 'It's a scary thought.'
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He did express admiration for Guéhi, calling him 'the best English centre-back' and noting his prime age at 24. But the idea of having to replace Konaté due to avoidable contractual failings clearly rankled. 'It would be so disappointing… if Ibu is literally wanting to stay or is willing to stay… and we're just not paying him enough, that's more of an annoying thing than Trent,' he said, referencing the long-running saga surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold's Real Madrid ambitions.
Konaté Belongs at the Heart of Liverpool's Defence
The depth of Drinkel's belief in Konaté was impossible to ignore. 'For me personally, I think Ibu is one of the top five centre-backs in the world off the top of my head,' he said. 'In the Premier League, I wouldn't trade him for anyone. Not a single soul.'
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He even went further, painting a vision of Liverpool's future defence with Konaté at its core: 'If we sign Guéhi … and keep Ibu… we can keep [those] three centre-backs for the rest of Van Dijk's contract.' For Drinkel, that scenario represents ideal succession planning and squad building. Letting Konaté slip through the cracks, in contrast, would be 'really, really annoying.'
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