Ibrahima Konate: Liverpool exit a 'sure thing' as Kylian Mbappe phone call revealed amid Real Madrid links | OneFootball

The defender will be available on a free transfer next summer unless he signs a new deal with the Premier League champions

Liverpool are bracing themselves to lose Ibrahima Konate on a free transfer.

Marca claim Liverpool have made up to three contract renewal offers to Konate, but each time the response has remained the same with the centre-back refusing to sign a new deal to extend his stay on Merseyside.

As a result, the Reds are planning to bolster their defensive options in an attempt to minimise the impact of Konate’s seemingly inevitable exit.

Giovanni Leoni arrived from Parma in the summer transfer window, but Liverpool did miss out on a deal for Marc Guehi on Deadline Day due to Crystal Palace failing to sign a replacement in time.

However, it is understood that Liverpool will not try to sign the Palace captain for a cut-price fee when the January transfer window opens as they will instead wait until Guehi is available on a free transfer next summer, once his contract expires on June 30, 2026.

Madrid bound? Ibrahima Konate

Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Meanwhile, Konate, who has been tipped to follow in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s footsteps by joining Real Madrid, has joked that France team-mate Kylian Mbappe has been trying to convince him to make the move.

“He calls me every two hours,” the defender told Telefoot last week while making it clear that he is unable to speak Spanish.

Konate is expected to feature for France in their World Cup qualifier against Iceland today after recovering from the knock that forced him off in the 1-0 win over Arsenal before the international break.