Report: Liverpool must pay £26m to sign defender | OneFootball

Slot Eyes Cresswell as Konate Question Looms Over Liverpool

Liverpool have always thrived on anticipation. The great sides of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley were built not just on genius but on succession plans drawn up quietly, patiently, almost ruthlessly. Now, with uncertainty circling Ibrahima Konate’s contract, it appears Arne Slot is thinking in similarly pragmatic terms.

Reports from SportsBoom suggest that Charlie Cresswell has emerged as a leading candidate should Konate depart, a move that would speak volumes about Liverpool’s recruitment philosophy under Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes. It is not glamour that guides Liverpool, but structure, value and tactical fit.

Photo: IMAGO

Contract Clouds Around Konate

Konate has been one of Liverpool’s most commanding defenders when fit, a centre-back capable of devouring strikers in open space and carrying possession into midfield. Yet, as noted by Anfield Watch, his future remains uncertain with the Frenchman entering the final months of his current deal. Liverpool, the report says, are keen to keep him, but interest from Europe’s elite is mounting.

For Slot, the loss of Konate would not simply be emotional; it would be structural. Konate’s recovery pace allows Trent Alexander-Arnold to roam into midfield and permits Virgil van Dijk to marshal the defensive line with authority.

Lose that, and the whole geometry of Liverpool’s pressing scheme shifts.

That is why contingency planning matters.

Cresswell Profile Fits Slot Blueprint

Cresswell “ticks many of Liverpool’s boxes for centre-backs”, particularly his homegrown status and versatility across a back line. It is a familiar pattern. Liverpool have long sought players who can grow within a system rather than disrupt it.

Cresswell, formerly of Leeds United and now at Toulouse, has been used as a central defender in a back three, a role demanding positional discipline and comfort in possession. Those qualities align with Slot’s tactical demands, where centre-backs must step into midfield, recycle possession and defend large spaces.

He is also, crucially, affordable. The same report claims Cresswell could cost “around £26 million”, a figure modest in a market where defenders are routinely priced beyond £70 million. Liverpool paid more than double that for Jeremy Jacquet, another investment in youth and potential.

The arithmetic makes sense. Risk is reduced. Upside remains.

Value, Registration Rules and Squad Balance

One detail often overlooked in transfer gossip is squad registration. Liverpool have faced Champions League complications this season, with foreign player quotas biting into selection choices. A homegrown defender offers flexibility.

Anfield Watch highlighted how players were left out of European squads due to registration limits, underlining how fine the margins can be in elite football. Cresswell’s eligibility as a homegrown player could prove decisive.

It is a reminder that recruitment is rarely about ability alone. It is about balance, timing and compliance. Slot knows this, and Liverpool’s hierarchy have learned it the hard way.

Succession Planning at Anfield

Cresswell may not yet be Konate. Few are. But he represents continuity, a defender comfortable in English football’s tempo, physically imposing and tactically adaptable.

Slot, appointed Liverpool manager in June 2024, has already reshaped patterns of play with pressing triggers, structured build-up and positional rotations. If Konate departs, he will require defenders capable of executing those demands.

Cresswell, at 24, offers development potential and resale value. Liverpool’s recruitment model thrives on such calculations.

For supporters, the thought of losing Konate is unsettling. He has been immense on Champions League nights, thunderous in duels and quietly effective in possession. But football rarely waits for sentiment.