Liverpool fans might have thought Ibrahima Konate had turned things around.
His form has been inconsistent earlier this season. Even head coach Arne Slaughter admitted the 26-year-old was often a “crime scene” with a game littered with mistakes.
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But the Frenchman has definitely improved over the past few weeks. He once again played alongside Virgil van Dijk and showed the kind of form that saw him win the Premier League title last season.
However, all that disappeared on Tuesday night when Konate took on Galatasaray in the Champions League.
Inconsistent Konate returns against Gallas
The France international suffered several high-profile gaffes and was never able to deal with the threat of Victor Osimhen. His passing accuracy is also poor – only 69% of his passes are completed.
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Konate dropped six of his eight long-ball attempts and won only half of his ground duels. The defender’s ability to win headers earns him a relatively high rating, but overall, Ibrahimovic’s rating is not good enough.
This once again puts his contract back into the spotlight.
Is Konate worth renewing?
It’s no secret that Konate’s contract expires at the end of the 2025/26 season. The player and his entourage reportedly demanded a £200,000 extension – but Will Richard Hughes believe Konate is worthy?
When Van Dijk is at his best, there are few better partners. But this is a return to form for Konate, who was shaky earlier in the season.
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If there is no guarantee of consistency, then Liverpool’s sporting director may walk away from the deal.
Real Madrid able to meet Konate’s wage demands – and There will also be a £13m welcome bonus on offer to sweeten the deal.
Perhaps Liverpool would be better off finding some more promising talent – as they did with Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet – and paying for them.
Because now Konate is losing influence in contract negotiations.
If he really wants to stay and become one of Liverpool’s highest-paid players, then he needs to put an end to these performances. Otherwise, the wisest thing to do is to get rid of him.
