Liverpool rocked as Euro giants move for Konate after contract chaos – it’s NOT Real Madrid | OneFootball

Liverpool are losing patience with Ibrahima Konate who is no closer to penning fresh terms at Anfield, and a European giant who’ve made two of the last three Champions League finals are ready to pounce.

Konate, 26, is in the final year of his contract with Liverpool. The centre-back is a guaranteed starter alongside Virgil van Dijk when fit, and if remaining at Anfield, will fancy his chances of keeping Jeremy Jacquet at arm’s length next season.

However, another thing being kept at arm’s length is Liverpool during their talks to extend Konate’s contract.

We revealed back on February 9 that dialogue between the club and player remains open and flowing, but the Frenchman is not playing ball.

Liverpool believe the terms they’ve put to the defender are more than fair. Konate seemingly sees the situation differently, and the Reds’ patience is wearing thin.

Sources explained Liverpool are unwilling to let the issue drag on into the final weeks of the season. Instead, they’ve set an easter deadline, and if Konate hasn’t signed by then, they’ll withdraw their offer and wave goodbye.

In the event Konate does depart, Real Madrid have consistently been mentioned as a potential landing spot.

Los Blancos are well known to be on the hunt for an addition at centre-back, though multiple reports now state Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck is the man they’re pursuing.

Whether Real re-enter the frame for Konate too remains to be seen, but according to the latest out of Italy, Konate might be heading to Inter Milan anyway.

L’Interista stated Inter are ‘keen to capitalise’ on Konate’s contract situation, namely the fact he can be signed without having to pay a transfer fee.

It’s claimed they actually hoped to sign the defender in January in a cut-price transfer. Given Liverpool’s injury issues in defence this season, that idea was a total non-starter at Anfield.

All eyes are thus on the upcoming summer, and if Konate turns his back on Liverpool, Inter are ready to swoop.

Inter will let veteran centre-backs, Stefan De Vrij and Francesco Acerbi, leave via free agency in the summer. A readymade and much younger centre-back is being sought, and Konate ticks both boxes.

Inter are dominating Serie A this season and qualified for two of the last three Champions League finals, losing to Manchester City in 2023 and PSG in 2025.

The addition of Konate to a defence that already contains one of the world’s best centre-backs in Alessandro Bastoni would strengthen Inter’s position as one of the leading clubs in world football right now.

In other news, TEAMtalk sources remain adamant that Dominik Szoboszlai is on course to sign a new Liverpool deal with a timeline set on when a new deal could be announced, while a trusted and well-informed journalist moved to play down speculation that the Hungarian would depart for Real Madrid in a blockbuster move this summer.

Elsewhere, Arne Slot has been told he risks throwing Liverpool into a ‘civil war’ if he drops Mohamed Salah for Rio Ngumoha next time out against West Ham, but there’s a rather obvious solution.