Liverpool FORCED into massive Ibou Konate decision as opinion splits | OneFootball

Liverpool are in a difficult spot and it's not by choice. They'll need to make a massive decision on Ibrahima Konate.

We’re back at it again. Liverpool are dealing with an expiring contract for a key player with no routine outcome.

Interest continues to grow in Ibrahima Konate, with Real Madrid shouting the loudest. They’re certainly after a new centre-back and Konate would be free - they really love it when they’re free.

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But they’re not the only club chasing the Frenchman. Chelsea have been linked, as have Paris Saint-Germain, who would surely love to have a homecoming for Konate.

All clubs willing to pay a lot of money when the time is right, then. And ‘no transfer fee’ means the time is always right.

In some ways, this is Liverpool’s own policy coming back to bite them. All reports are that Konate would re-sign with the Reds for the right offer but the club aren’t willing to pay over the odds for a player unless they’re absolutely generational.

Mo Salah is that, Virgil van Dijk is that - Konate isn’t on their level, even if he is a key player for Liverpool and one they don’t want to lose. That policy, however, forces them into a difficult decision and one that will divide people.

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The Ibrahima Konate decision

There are essentially four ways to go here. None of them offer clear results.

Liverpool could, for instance, just pay Konate what he wants. That's the least-likely scenario as we see it - the club simply don't like to do that.

It would have a ripple effect on the rest of the squad and Konate, while an elite player, isn't worth destabilising things for. So we'd rule that one out.

They might instead wait for the pressure to build. Konate may prefer to remain at Liverpool and quite honestly, his dream offers may never arrive.

In that case, Liverpool could end up getting the contract done on their own terms and that's absolutely the best option here. But it's a risky one.

Maybe the most likely outcome is Konate running his contract down and moving on to a team willing to pay him a fortune. It's what typically happens when Real Madrid get involved. It may well happen again here.

And then there's the 'safe' option - and the one we think Liverpool should probably look at. Konate could be sold in January to a club in need of a centre-back and Real Madrid may well be just that.

Getting some sort of money for him before turning attention to Marc Guehi would solve the situation and eliminate a headache for the second half of the campaign. Of course, this only works if Konate isn't willing to renew and Guehi is willing to sign.

With four scenarios potentially playing out, opinions will be split - both in and out of Liverpool. It's a situation that's near-impossible to get correct and we don't envy Richard Hughes and co. here.