Liverpool hurtling towards losing Ibou Konate for free as David Ornstein shares worrying update

The Athletic journalist said: “One of the uncertain situations at Liverpool involves Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract at the end of this season.

“As I understand it, the situation is still at a stalemate, and it’s not looking particularly positive; although until either side walks away, there is still hope that it could reach a positive conclusion for him to stay at Anfield.”

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Losing Konate on a free would be negligent from Liverpool

We know from previous case studies (e.g. Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk last year) that contract negotiations are anything but straightforward, but for Konate’s deal to get this close to expiring with no imminent sign of a breakthrough is worrying.

At least Ornstein’s suggestion that neither side has ‘walked away’ indicates that all parties involved are keen on finding a resolution – it just seems to be taking an inordinately long time for an agreement to be reached.

As it stands, Liverpool will lose a first-team regular and a Premier League winner in the prime of his career on a free transfer in seven weeks’ time. That sentence should serve as a damning indictment of the decision-making process at Anfield.

It’s fair to claim that Konate’s performances this season have been all too erratic, even when accounting for the personal grief of losing his father in January, but seeing him walk out the door without reaping a fee would be negligent in the extreme.

The Reds may have two gifted young centre-backs for the long-term in Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet, but they also need experienced heads to help guide that duo along.

Unless Richard Hughes can sort out a new contract for our number 5, he’ll have to go into the market for another defender in the summer to replaced one that Liverpool would lose on a free.