Liverpool seriously considering re-signing academy graduate for €80m | OneFootball

Ibrahima Konate is set to leave Liverpool when his contract expires.

Despite talks stretching back to November 2023 no accord could be found between the French defender and the outgoing Premier League champions.

Konate, 27, signed for Liverpool back in 2021 - with the Reds agreeing a £35m fee with RB Leipzig. And having originally struggled to find his feet in a red shirt the France international finally settled beside Virgil van Dijk during the 2024/25 season.

The duo spearheaded the Premier League title win - laying the foundations for what fans hoped would be a fruitful partnership.

Konate’s form slipped in 2025/26 - like many of his teammates - and he hasn’t quite been the same force. Nonetheless Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes will be unhappy at losing an asset like Konate for nothing.

Liverpool need centre-back reinforcements

There is now a space opening up in defence for a senior partner to Van Dijk. Liverpool will blood Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet next season - following their injuries - but it could be perhaps unwise to ask a pair of rookies to step in for an entire campaign.

And now TEAMtalk has revealed that the name of Jarell Quansah is once again on the agenda as Hughes seeks to plug a shortfall at centre-back.

“One option that has been discussed internally is a move to bring Jarell Quansah back to the club following his departure, with Liverpool still maintaining huge admiration for the academy graduate’s long-term potential,” the report reads.

“Quansah’s development continues to be monitored closely and his name has featured during internal recruitment conversations.”

Liverpool can re-sign Quansah for €80m this summer

Liverpool sold the England international to Bayer Leverkusen in summer 2025 for around £30m. He had begun the 2024/25 campaign as Van Dijk’s preferred partner but that lasted one half before Arne Slot pulled the plug.

The 23-year-old was deemed expendable last summer but Hughes did secure a buyback clause on the deal. Liverpool can sign Quansah for €80m in the summer of 2026 - although BILD reports that the clause will expire shortly.

And next summer may well see Quansah’s arrival become a more realistic prospect as the clause will drop to €60m.

But right now there is a glaring need for centre-back reinforcements. Quansah is already a known quantity and has developed well during his time in the Bundesliga.

Liverpool could do a lot worse than activate the clause and ensure continuity at centre-back where Konate’s impending departure could otherwise cause a lot of problems.