Trent Alexander-Arnold offers Real Madrid WARNING to Ibrahima Konate | OneFootball

Ibrahima Konate is Liverpool’s greatest contract problem right now.

The 26-year-old has got a deal which expires in 2026 - which means unless a new agreement is drawn up then he will be leaving for free at the end of the season.

That would no doubt represent a disaster for Reds - who have invested a lot in the centre-back since signing him from RB Leipzig back in 2021 for £35m.

The France international was constantly injured throughout his first few seasons at the club and didn’t establish himself as Virgil van Dijk’s preferred partner until the Premier League title-winning season in 2024/25.

Liverpool risking repeat of TAA situation

To lose him just one year after securing the title - for nothing - would indeed be a slap in the face.

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Konate is estimated to be making £140k per week at Anfield and was earlier said to be looking for £200k to renew. There are no guarantees he would accept any offer right now - because it seems he’s got his heart set on Real Madrid.

Los Blancos can offer more of course; current reserve centre-back David Alaba makes around €400k per week by way of example. And if it’s wages - and a signing-on fee - that’s foremost in Konate’s mind then there’s not a lot Liverpool can do about it.

They faced a similar situation with Trent Alexander-Arnold last year - a player who threw away 20 years with Liverpool for a lucrative move to the Bernabeu.

Liverpool are MUCH better than Madrid

But Trent’s experiences so far should sound a huge alarm for Konate in the event that his Madrid wish is granted. Firstly, there is no guarantee that Trent will ever become the Spanish capital club’s first-choice right-back.

He seems to be behind Dani Carvajal - when the Spain international is fit - while Xabi Alonso is content to use Fede Valverde at right-back too.

Alexander-Arnold has barely played - suffering a couple of injury problems and not yet clicking on those rare occasions that he plays. Konate could well fall into the same trap.

But there is one other big issue that Konate cannot afford to ignore. Liverpool are MUCH better than Real Madrid. If it’s big prizes that the Les Bleus’ star prioritises then he is at the right club.

© IMAGO - Ibrahima Konate Liverpool

Scholes hits Madrid where it hurts

"He probably left a better team to go to a worse team,” was Paul Scholes’ assessment on an episode of Stick to Football this week.

And on Tuesday we were presented with firsthand evidence of Liverpool’s superiority.

Madrid visited Anfield for a Champions League league phase game which the Reds won easily courtesy of an Alexis Mac Allister goal.

The scoreline barely told the story - with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and others locked out of the event.

Trent featured from the bench to no great avail and he will have left in little doubt that he is now playing for an inferior team.

© Anfield Watch

Trent's experience should be warning to Konate

No doubt Madrid will dominate LaLiga this season - where they have lost only once so far – but on this form it’s not going to be a vintage Champions League campaign.

So Konate is going to have to make his choice. A big, fat contract at Madrid and potential mediocrity for the rest of his peak years - or else continue to compete for the biggest prizes at Anfield - albeit for slightly less cash up front.

He is going to have to choose his next step carefully - but Trent’s experiences should offer him a warning.