Exclusive: Liverpool could be open to selling ‘top class’ powerhouse against Arne Slot’s wishes | OneFootball

Liverpool could reluctantly consider parting with one player in January who Arne Slot is determined to keep at the club.

Although the summer transfer window concluded a week ago, speculation continues to abound regarding one man in particular at Anfield.

The Times‘ Paul Joyce reported that LFC’s attempts to agree a contract extension for Ibrahima Konate – who’s now into the final year of his current deal – remain at an impasse, with Real Madrid understood to be among his suitors.

The 26-year-old didn’t help matters during the international break when joking that France teammate and Los Blancos star Kylian Mbappe has been calling him ‘every two hours’ to try and entice him to the Bernabeu.

Liverpool could reluctantly consider selling Konate in January

According to sources close to Empire of the Kop, Liverpool may be forced to consider offers for the defender in January so that they don’t run the risk of losing him on a free transfer next summer if a new contract isn’t agreed in the meantime.

That’s despite Anfield chiefs pushing hard to tie down Konate to a new deal, and although Slot very much wants to keep our number 5, the hierarchy are weighing up the financial risks of missing out on a prospective fee of €50m (£43.4m) for the Frenchman and wouldn’t rule out a mid-season sale.

Real Madrid are joined in their interest by Pais Saint-Germain and Chelsea, and Los Blancos’ chief scout is preparing to travel to England in an attempt to secure a deal for the 26-year-old.

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Liverpool facing a difficult decision over Konate

After the contractual soap opera involving Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold which spanned for most of last season, we could do without another ‘will-he-won’t-he’ saga with Konate in the coming months.

The 6 foot 4 powerhouse is an outstanding defender when at his best, with Micah Richards stating that the Liverpool beast has ‘all the tools to be a top-class centre-half’ (BBC Sport), an endorsement underlined by his heroic goalline clearance in France’s win over Ukraine in recent days.

Slot’s desire to hold onto the former RB Leipzig man will have amplified after the foiled deadline day pursuit of Marc Guehi, and with Joyce reporting that LFC won’t go back in for the Crystal Palace star in January, we can ill afford to lose the Frenchman mid-season.

Alas, it’s understandable why the Anfield hierarchy would consider selling Konate in the winter rather than losing him for nothing next summer, particularly if a breakthrough in contract negotiations seems improbable.

We can only hope that a resolution is found in the remaining months of 2025 so that the club isn’t faced with a fiendishly difficult decision in the New Year.