Journalist: Liverpool expected to sign defender after Ibrahima Konaté exit | OneFootball

Liverpool Centre Back Question Grows After Ibrahima Konaté Exit

Liverpool’s summer already looked demanding before the confirmation that Ibrahima Konaté would leave when his contract expires. On Media Matters for Anfield Index, Dave Davis and David Lynch discussed how that exit changes the scale of the rebuild, particularly with Andoni Iraola expected to arrive as Liverpool boss.

Lynch admitted the Konaté situation had shifted quickly. He said it was “not so much noises from the club” that made him think a new deal would happen, but “the noises from the player’s side.” He added that Konaté’s camp had been “so adamant” and “confident in it for such a long time” that he thought the defender would stay.

The change has left Liverpool with another major issue to solve. Lynch said: “The squad depth now, if you write it out on a piece of paper, I mean, my God, it looks like it needs about ten players adding to it.”

Centre back signing still expected

Davis then turned the conversation towards possible replacements, mentioning reports around young centre halves such as Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni. His concern was clear, asking whether it would be “a massive gamble to go that route.”

Lynch agreed that relying only on young defenders would be risky. He said: “Jacquet is coming to a new league completely and he’s got to adapt and it’s a big ask to just drop him in and he’d be the guaranteed starter.”

On Leone, Lynch added that he is “coming off the back of that big injury,” which creates another layer of uncertainty.

That led to Lynch’s strongest conclusion on the centre back situation. “Liverpool might say that and I think they will show some faith to a degree in these players, but they absolutely need to sign a centre-half for me.”

He then made his view even clearer: “I think they’re foolish if they don’t.”

Young defenders need support

The discussion was not dismissive of Liverpool’s young centre backs. Davis said he was “massively excited to see Leoni and Jacquet and what they can do.” Lynch also accepted that both may have roles to play.

But the concern was about asking too much, too soon. Lynch said Jacquet “will play a lot of games,” while Leone has “potential to play,” particularly in the cup competitions.

That feels very different from expecting either to replace Konaté immediately as a senior starter. Lynch referenced Leny Yoro at Manchester United as an example of a young defender needing time, saying “it took him a while to find his feet.”

For Liverpool, that distinction matters. The question is not whether young centre backs can be part of the plan. It is whether they can carry the plan.

Photo: IMAGO

Virgil van Dijk cannot do everything

Davis also raised the risk around Virgil van Dijk, saying “the threat of Virgil van Dijk at his age playing every single minute or needing to play every single minute worries you a little bit.”

That is the heart of Liverpool’s defensive issue. Konaté leaving reduces experience, physicality and senior depth. If Joe Gomez also has “a big chance to depart now,” as Lynch suggested, the need becomes more urgent.

Lynch said: “I just think they will sign one. More because I hope and I think they need it.”

With Iraola potentially bringing a more intense style, the need for defensive depth only increases. Earlier in the podcast, Lynch said Liverpool must give Iraola “a massive squad” and warned that “you’ve got to have enough of them.”

The message from David Lynch to Dave Davis was therefore clear. Liverpool can trust their young centre backs to develop, but after Ibrahima Konaté’s exit, they still need a senior centre half. Without one, the gamble may be too large for a club already facing a huge summer.