Liverpool have 98-day deadline before horrifying transfer reality comes to light | OneFootball

Things are going from bad to worse for Liverpool Football Club in the defensive department.

First, Giovanni Leoni suffered an ACL injury after impressing in his debut performance in the Carabao Cup.

Then reports surfacing on Thursday suggest that Marc Guehi could be swayed by the allure of Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Now, Liverpool fans are reminded of the daunting fact that Ibrahima Konate’s contract talks have yet to reach a conclusion favourable to the Merseyside-based outfit.

Liverpool have a 98-day deadline over Ibrahima Konate’s future

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

James Pearce now reports on X (fomerly Twitter) that Konate’s future at Liverpool remains uncertain.

Worse yet, the Reds have only got 98 days before overseas clubs can jump in and sort out a pre-contract agreement with the talented Frenchman.

With Giovanni Leoni potentially out for most of the season and Liverpool now down to three senior centre-backs, the stakes have never been higher. Indeed, much like picking the best social casinos, Richard Hughes and Co. need to carefully consider their options.

Should there be any serious concern that Konate will prioritise a free transfer to Real Madrid in the summer, we must act in the January transfer window.

It remains to be seen whether Marc Guehi is a serious option to consider at that point. As Ben Jacobs’ reporting already indicates, Liverpool may need to keep their powder dry as far as that particular target is concerned until the summer.

So where does that leave us?

Who could Liverpool sign in the January transfer window?

It’s worth pre-empting this debate by emphasising that Liverpool’s decision-making in the lead-up to January will undoubtedly be dictated in part by the length of Leoni’s lay-off period.

If there’s an expectation that the Italian will be back on the pitch for a significant portion of the second half of the campaign (which is unlikely), we’d be far from surprised to see the Merseysiders hold fire.

Assuming that the need for proactive action, amid Konate’s uncertain contract future, will prove a motivating factor, however, there’s enough in the way of justification to consider our options in the next window.

Konstantinos Koulierakis

Back in July, Empire of the Kop reported on interest in Greek centre-back Konstantinos Koulierakis (21).

Plying his trade with Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga, the young defender is alleged to have been scouted by Liverpool in the summer.

Sister site CaughtOffside even went as far as claiming that the footballer had been identified as a potential long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk.

Joel Ordonez

Belgian Pro League ace Joel Ordonez has also attracted interest from Liverpool and competing Premier League side Chelsea.

The Ecuadorian is the same age (21) as Koulierakis, so it fits the bill of Liverpool looking at young, up-and-coming defenders.

With an experienced operator in Konate potentially leaving next year, however, the Reds could do with some guarantee of experience coming in through the door. Be it in the form of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, or another elite defensive operator.

Join our channel of readers on WhatsApp to get the day’s top stories straight to your mobile