Liverpool are reportedly confident of wrapping up a deal to secure defender Ibrahima Konate to a new contract in the near future.
The Merseysiders have had a remarkable season so far, with the team first in the Premier League and first in the Champions League tables.
Despite the success on the pitch, fans have been worried about the futures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who are all out of contract at the end of the season.
However, with the aforementioned trio taking the headlines, the fact that Konate has less than two years left on his current deal has perhaps gone under the radar.
The centre-back is out injured but has performed exceptionally well this season, and Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that talks over a new deal at Liverpool are proceeding as planned, with the club confident of keeping the 25-year-old at Anfield.
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Konate's impact this season
Prior to his injury against Real Madrid on November 27, Konate had been universally praised for his performances for the Reds.
Liverpool's press has occasionally been breached by opponents, but the team have not been troubled in these instances thanks to the likes of Konate, who excel when recovering defensive positions.
The centre-back also boasts an aerial win percentage of 82.4%, the second-highest figure of any player in the Premier League.
There have been concerns about the defender's fitness given he has been frequently beset by muscle injuries during his time at Anfield, but the Frenchman's latest setback was the result of an impact injury.
In fact, Konate has averaged just over 2000 minutes of football a season but has already played 1,800, and he was on track for 6,000 before he was sidelined.
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The beginning of a new era?
While Liverpool fans will no doubt hope that Van Dijk extends his stay on Merseyside, renewing Konate's contract would be a significant boost for Slot in his quest to establish a new era of dominance in the Premier League.
Van Dijk and Salah will both be well into their thirties by the time Konate's current contract expires, but by signing the Frenchman to a new deal, the club would least ensure they have a defender in place to take over from Van Dijk as the leader of Liverpool's backline.
If Konate left for free in 2026, then it would pose a significant headache for Slot, who already faces the possibility that he may have to replace three of his best players this summer.
To make matters worse, veteran Andrew Robertson is also out of contract in 2026, and it would arguably be negligent of sporting director Richard Hughes if he also allowed the left-back to enter the final year of his deal.
Liverpool are in a precarious position in regard to contracts and could easily find themselves in a crisis should they fail to come to terms with their star players, but at least fans can have confidence that Konate will likely be staying on Merseyside beyond 2026.
Lewis Nolan
