Liverpool fans are still waiting to see whether or not Ibrahima Konate agrees a contract extension at Anfield, with the defender having less than three months remaining on his current deal.
There were reports from France earlier this week that the 26-year-old is closer than ever to penning fresh terms on Merseyside and wants his future to be resolved before he jets off for the World Cup in June.
The clock is ticking rapidly for a decision to be made, although one trusted journalist has now hinted at the likelihood of the centre-back staying with the Reds rather than leaving on a free transfer.
Speaking on the Media Matters podcast for Anfield Index, Lewis Steele said of Konate’s contract situation at Liverpool: “I am more leaning towards him staying than going. As it stands, nothing has been agreed just yet.”
The Dail Mail reporter added: “If I had to put my eggs in one basket, I would say Konate does extend.”
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After many months of discussions, it shouldn’t be much longer before we find out for certain whether or not Konate will be a Liverpool player next season, although the direction of travel appears to be increasingly towards him extending his contract rather than leaving.
It’s been a difficult campaign on and off the pitch for the Frenchman, whose father died in January and whose performances for the Reds have resulted in scathing criticism from media and pundits.
After last night’s defeat to PSG, Jamie Carragher fumed that the 26-year-old has been ‘awful‘ in recent months, although our number 5 did make one brilliant challenge on Warren Zaire-Emery which was initially given as a penalty before rightly being overturned by VAR.
Konate has generally been performing way below his best this season, and Liverpool will need to see a consistent improvement from him over the next few weeks and – should a new contract be agreed – into the 2026/27 campaign.
However, with the Reds not exactly overflowing with centre-back depth and Virgil van Dijk approaching the end of his glittering career, the France international remains a hugely important presence at Anfield, and hopefully the long-standing uncertainty over his future will soon be put to bed.
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