Prem pair hold ‘exploratory’ Konate talks as Liverpool contract deadline looms | OneFootball

Chelsea and Manchester City have reportedly held ‘exploratory talks’ over a potential deal to sign Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate, with Anfield chiefs growing increasingly frustrated over the player’s delays to sign a new deal on Merseyside.

The 26-year-old will be out of contract at the end of the season, sparking a scramble for his signature that includes clubs from at home and abroad.

Konate is reported to have been presented with what Liverpool believe is the most lucrative offer he has received so far this year, once again highlighting their determination to keep the player on board beyond the summer.

And now sources over at our friends TEAMtalk have given an update on the player’s situation, including the current deadline that has been set for Konate to sign on the dotted line.

TT sources indicate that Liverpool had ‘internally set a deadline around Easter for a response’, making it clear they ‘wanted clarity on his intentions heading into the final stretch of the season’. However, with that deadline fast approaching and now just days away, the Reds are ‘yet to receive a definitive answer from the Frenchman’.

As per the report, Konate’s representatives are understood to be ‘exploring multiple options across Europe’ for their client, that’s despite the player recently hinting that he could remain on Merseyside.

Among the clubs interested in his services, Real Madrid’s bid to sign the player has been well-documented for months, while Italian giants Inter Milan are reported to have ‘put forward a serious proposal’ of their own.

Barcelona and Bayern Munich have also held discussions regarding Konate’s situation, while Liverpool also believe that ‘some of their Premier League rivals have entered the conversation’.

Indeed, TT sources suggest that both Chelsea and Manchester City have held ‘exploratory talks’ and are ‘weighing up potential offers’. However, it remains unclear whether those discussions have ‘progressed into formal proposals to the player and his representatives’.

Liverpool’s current understanding, though, is that none of the offers from rival clubs actually match the proposal terms they had already delivered to Konate’s representatives.

Despite that, the lack of response has begun to ‘test patience inside Anfield’ for a player that Liverpool remain keen on keeping on a new long-term deal.

What happens over Easter could now have massive bearing on where Konate ends up playing in the 2026/27 season and beyond, although Liverpool cannot be faulted for their efforts in trying to keep him.