Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate admits that transfer speculation has left him in a “tight spot”, with questions continuing to be asked of how long he will remain at Anfield. The France international defender is into the final year of his contract, meaning that he could hit free agency in the summer of 2026. La Liga giants Real Madrid are being credited with interest.
Konate contract: Running down towards free agency
Konate can do little to stop the rumours, with no extension to his current terms being agreed on Merseyside. For as long as his future remains up in the air, the 26-year-old centre-half will find himself at the centre of distracting gossip.
There has been talk of a new deal being agreed with Liverpool, as Konate has been with the Reds since 2021. It has also been suggested that he could tread a similar path to former team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold by swapping Liverpool for Madrid – with no transfer fee needing to change hands.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesKonate reacts to Anfield transfer rumours
Konate is eager to point out that there is no substance to the speculation that he continues to generate, with no definitive decisions being made on his future. His form has dipped slightly this season, with Liverpool enduring uncharacteristic issues as a collective, with the exit rumours doing little to aid his cause.
Speaking to while on 2026 World Cup qualifying duty with France, Konate said when asked about his regular presence in gossip columns: “It’s difficult, we can’t say everything because a lot of things are already being said in the media.”
He went on to say of unwelcome stories potentially casting him in a bad light with loyal Liverpool supporters: “Some of the things that I read, I’m like… oh la la. That puts me in a tight spot with Liverpool fans, and they don’t even know all the ins and outs.”
Konate has previously said of lining up a decision day with Premier League heavyweights: “My agents continue to discuss with Liverpool. I hope my decision will be made very soon so I can announce it.”
Carragher hopes Konate signs new Liverpool deal
Legendary former Reds defender Jamie Carragher is hoping that a deal can be agreed with Konate. He has told the : "I’d like him to stay but if he doesn’t stay, Liverpool will sign someone else. Liverpool won’t fall apart if Konate leaves. He's not Virgil van Dijk. He's a good centre-back who you hope will sign, but if he doesn’t want to sign, Liverpool will be absolutely fine.
“He's a very good centre-back, he's a title winner at Liverpool, he's played in the Champions League final against Real Madrid. He's obviously a quality centre-back. It's not poor management [if he goes for free]. You can't physically make somebody sign a contract. Then it's your decision, do you keep him to the length of his contract or do you sell him?”
Getty ImagesWill Konate join Real Madrid? Who will Liverpool sign as a replacement?
Liverpool were disappointed to lose home-grown star Alexander-Arnold to La Liga giants in the summer of 2025. A small fee was paid there, with Real prepared to complete a transfer prior to the England international officially becoming a free agent – with the Blancos’ FIFA Club World Cup campaign being factored into the equation.
Konate has revealed that fellow countryman Kylian Mbapppe “calls me every two hours to sign for Real Madrid", with the World Cup-winning forward acting as an agent for those at Santiago Bernabeu.
It may be that Konate ends up joining Mbappe in the Spanish capital. He has taken in 148 appearances for Liverpool across four-and-a-half seasons, registering six goals. Konate has formed part of Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup-winning squads.
While Liverpool would like to retain his services, they were heavily linked with Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi over the summer. He is another that is heading towards free agency in 2026, meaning that the Reds could land themselves a ready-made replacement for Konate. They also acquired highly-rated Italian defender Giovanni Leoni in the last transfer window and are expecting big things from him once a complete recovery from an unfortunate ACL injury has been made.