Ibrahima Konate drops massive tease over Liverpool future amid Real Madrid swoop fears | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate has dropped a major hint over when he will announce his decision on his future, with the centre-back out of contract in the summer and continually linked with likes of Real Madrid.

With Konate’s contract running down at Anfield, TEAMtalk has revealed interest from Real as well as German giants Bayern Munich, Serie A side Juventus and, to a lesser extent, PSG.

Sources close to the player confirm he is “open to options” and a fresh challenge, provided the package aligns with his ambitions—intensifying pressure on Liverpool chiefs to secure an extension or risk losing him for nothing.

And now Konate, who has been with The Reds since 2021, has opened up on when he will make an announcement on his next move.

Speaking ahead of his side’s World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan, Konate said his representatives are discussing his future with Liverpool.

“As for me, I’ve seen a lot of things, particularly in the media. I saw that Liverpool made me a new offer recently,” he said.

“I don’t know where that info comes from. But now, my agents are still discussing with Liverpool. I hope my decision will be made and that I’ll be able to announce what I’ll do very soon.”

As the clock ticks down to Konate’s announcement over his future, claims that Marc Guehi is on his way to Liverpool in 2026 have grown off the back of strong reports in the Spanish media and amid a significant admission from his Crystal Palace and England teammate, Adam Wharton.

Having devastatingly missed out on a move to Liverpool over the summer, Guehi has since made it clear that he will not be signing a new contract at Selhurst Park – meaning he will become a free agent in the summer of 2026.

The 25-times capped England star is eligible to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with overseas sides from January 1.

That has led to speculation that a move to either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich could be on the cards, with the former becoming specialists in recruiting the game’s best talents on free transfers and with the latter already having held concrete talks.

However, Guehi’s heart appears to remain set on Anfield, and now his teammate Wharton has admitted it is “pretty obvious” that the player will be on the move in 2026.

“There’s obviously so much speculation,” he said on The Athletic FC Podcast. “I think it’s pretty obvious. I think it came out that he wasn’t going to sign a new deal. So yeah…

“I think, obviously, he’s a top defender. You’ve seen it week in, week out in the Premier League. You’ve seen it at the Euros and after that for England.

“So I mean, he’s so consistent. You see it in training. Well, I see it in training every day as well. So down to earth as well. He never gets carried away. And yeah, he could literally go to any club in the world, for me, and be starting comfortably.

“It’s probably just where he goes. And when. If he goes in January or in the summer, who knows? I hope he stays until summer so we can have him for a bit longer. We’ll have to see.”

Latest Liverpool news: Olise signing truths revealed; perfect Van Dijk successor

First up, TEAMtalk sources have revealed all on Liverpool’s chances of a blockbuster swoop for Bayern Munich attacker Michael Olise in 2026, with the French winger reportedly being lined up as Mohamed Salah’s long-term successor at Anfield.

Elsewhere, Reds boss Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes have been urged to raid Tottenham Hotspur for Micky van de Ven, with Khalid Boulahrouz explaining why the defender is the perfect long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk, but TEAMtalk analyses that a transfer may not be possible.

And finally, Antoine Semenyo remains “very keen” on a move to Liverpool, though a respected journalist has become the latest to explain why a move to Anfield in January looks unlikely, and with sources revealing which Premier League side will strongly compete with the Reds for his signature.