Liverpool miss out on perfect Ibrahima Konate successor, he'd have only cost €40m | OneFootball

Ibrahima Konate's Liverpool exit may have been expected but, that doesn't mean that it hurts any less.

It's now been two seasons on the bounce where Liverpool have lost two of their regular starters to Real Madrid on free transfers.

During the 2025-26 season, the La Liga giants managed to prise Trent Alexander-Arnold away from his boyhood club and now, Konate has followed suit.

Indeed, talks between the Frenchman and Liverpool were ongoing over the last 18 months but, for one reason or another, the two parties just couldn't reach an agreement.

This has now left Liverpool with a gaping hole in their defence and, even though some people believe the gap can be filled by Jeremy Jacquet, it's still unclear whether the young Frenchman will be able to hold his own in the Premier League or not.

So, with this in mind, it's hardly surprising to see that the Reds are being linked with moves for several centre-backs this summer.

And, while some deals feel more likely than others, one of Liverpool's targets will certainly not be coming to Anfield after the latest news to emerge from Fabrizio Romano.

Fabrizio Romano confirms that Ousmane Diomande is set to join Nottingham Forest for €40 million

Ousmane Diomande may not be a name that Liverpool fans have heard of over the last year or so.

However, the Ivorian has been quietly honing his craft with Sporting CP and has recently emerged as one of the Liga Portugal's best centre-backs.

The centre-back may have only made one appearance for the Ivory Coast at the 2026 World Cup but, since he played in 31 games across all competitions for Sporting CP last term, it's clear that he's a talented defender.

Admittedly, he can only play in one position but, since he's only 22 years old, there's plenty of time for him to develop into an even better player than he currently is.

This potential is what has intrigued most clubs, including Liverpool but, somewhat surprisingly, it's Nottingham Forest who seem to have won the race for him.

That is, if an update from Romano is to be believed.

"Nottingham Forest, confident to close Ousmane Diomande deal with Sporting shortly after bid sent," he shared via his personal X account.

"Proposal will be way below €80m release clause; around €40m total package add-ons included."

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Ousmane Diomande would have been a perfect replacement for Ibrahima Konate

As much as Konate's exit hurts, his performances in the 2026 World Cup proved that he wasn't as good as most people thought he was.

The Frenchman was only called upon when Didier Deschamps had no other options at his disposal and, even then he failed to prove his worth.

In fact, during France's third-place playoff game against England, Konate played that poorly that Deschamps hooked him off the pitch at half-time.

So, even though Liverpool are a bit light in defence now, Konate's exit may end up being for the greater good.

However, due to how inflated the transfer market is at the moment, it feels like €40 million for Diomande would have been a steal.

Of course, he's not been as impressive this season as he was in prior campaigns but, as mentioned, he's only 22 years old and will continue developing.

So, investing €40 million now while he's not at his best could have been the right move for Liverpool, rather than them waiting for him to become aa world-beater and signing him for at least double that.

Liverpool don't have an endless money pit like other Premier League clubs so, they need to be smarter about their purchases and, on the face of things, Diomande would have been ideal.

Here's hoping that they get their act together soon and start getting some deals for new players over the line before it's too late.