Ibrahima Konaté has three months left on his Liverpool contract and, by most accounts, has not yet decided what happens next. Sources close to the squad believe he is likely to stay, with the prevailing view inside Anfield being that remaining at the club is more probable than leaving. That said, no breakthrough has been reached and an agreement does not feel imminent, according to sources at Liverpool and within the player’s camp,
The situation has dragged on long enough that the club is now running low on patience. Liverpool have presented Konaté with what they believe is their most competitive offer of 2026, and have internally set a deadline around Easter for a response. As of Today, no definitive answer had arrived.
What the money looks like
The sticking point, as it has been throughout, is wages. Konaté currently earns around £150,000 per week and is seeking a significant rise, though Liverpool have made clear they will not sign at any cost and that any new deal must fit within their existing wage structure.
For context, the club’s pay scale puts Mohamed Salah at the top on approximately $640,000 per week, with Virgil van Dijk close behind at $540,000. Alexander Isak earns around $400,000, and Ryan Gravenberch recently extended his contract to become the club’s fourth highest earner at roughly $372,000 per week. Florian Wirtz sits at $330,000. Konaté, at $199,000, sits well below all of them and is pushing for a number closer to the middle of that range. He is not believed to be targeting van Dijk or Salah territory.
The suitor list is shrinking
Real Madrid, who had initially pushed hardest as Konaté’s deal ticked down, withdrew their interest before Christmas with no indication they will revive it. Bayern Munich cooled off after securing Dayot Upamecano’s extension, and PSG have not signaled any concrete move.
Chelsea and Manchester City have held exploratory conversations, though it remains unclear whether those discussions have moved beyond preliminary contact. Liverpool’s understanding is that no rival proposal currently matches the terms already on the table at Anfield.
Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed this week that Liverpool remain in active discussions and that new contacts are expected in April, with both the club and player seeking a final decision as soon as possible.
Konaté’s words have told their own story
While Konaté has kept his public comments measured, the language he has used when discussing Liverpool’s future has drawn attention. Speaking to ESPN this week during a break with the French national team, he addressed the club’s difficult season with a tone that suggested he sees himself as part of what comes next.
He acknowledged that bringing in new players takes time and that the squad needs to be patient, pointing to the death of Diogo Jota shortly before pre-season as one of several complicating factors behind a difficult campaign. His use of ‘we’ throughout those comments, including references to winning future trophies together, was noted by observers as a signal that he is not mentally preparing for life elsewhere.
Why this matters beyond one player
Liverpool find themselves in a position strikingly similar to this time last year, when both Salah and van Dijk had yet to finalize extensions. Both eventually signed in April, which may inform the club’s approach now: they will not treat a departure as inevitable unless explicitly told that is the outcome.
The club has already secured 19-year-old Giovanni Leoni and has a deal lined up for 20-year-old Jeremy Jacquet, which means the longer-term architecture of their defense is taking shape regardless of what Konaté decides. But at 26 and not yet at peak age, he represents a different kind of asset, one that bridges the transition away from van Dijk rather than replacing him outright.
If Konaté does leave on a free, Liverpool would face pressure to find an experienced center back in the same window, a complicated task given the cost and scarcity of elite options at that position. The coming weeks will likely determine which version of that summer the club is preparing for.
