Ibrahima Konaté, the 26-year-old central defender with the French national team and Liverpool (under contract until 2026), is in talks to extend his contract. However, nothing is easy at the moment, and a departure is also being discussed. Paris Saint-Germain, in particular, are rumored to be interested in the player for the mercato. L’Equipe reported on the situation this Sunday, including an extension and Real Madrid. PSG is not even mentioned.
Liverpool at ease?
“Negotiations, which were suspended until the end of March, resumed in May and June. With counter-proposals from both sides.
Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s sporting director, knows exactly what the Frenchman’s camp wants. He is due to provide a new response in the coming weeks. In this matter, in keeping with their methodology and despite – as we’ll come back to later – reports of concrete interest from Real Madrid, Liverpool’s directors want to be “serene”.
Real Madrid would have an important asset.
However, the situation regarding Konaté has changed in recent weeks. The Spanish daily Marca recently suggested that Real Madrid might make a bid to buy out the last year of the Frenchman’s contract. Madrid have made their interest in Konaté known, and have enquired about the level of an offer that could convince Liverpool to sell their player this summer. However, this has not yet translated into a concrete offer.
Will Real Madrid wait until Konaté is free in a few months’ time? The Spanish club knows that it has a significant card at its disposal: the player’s genuine interest in its project. “
As usual, we’re very cautious when it comes to rumours. Particularly in a case like this, with so many claims that are not particularly consistent, and so little in the way of concrete evidence. For example, not so long ago, PSG was mentioned as a real candidate for Konaté’s future. Here, there’s no mention of the Parisian club.
Difficult, therefore, to understand the role that PSG could play in this dossier. Is it simply an element of rumour because it brings visibility? An element of pressure in the negotiations? A real option for the French international’s future?
In any case, the French international’s future remains very unclear. Some media outlets are ruling out an extension, while others claim it is still possible. And we don’t know whether PSG intend to try their luck.
