FIFA Club World Cup pair join race for £140k per week Liverpool star
Liverpool lost Trent Alexander-Arnold after the homegrown talent allowed his contract to run down.
Although the 26-year-old ended up moving to Real Madrid for an £8.4m fee, that was only because the Spaniards were adamant about having him on board for the FIFA Club World Cup.
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If he moved after June 30 - upon the expiry of his contract - then Liverpool would have lost him for nothing. It's a situation the Reds decision-makers are keen to avoid in the case of Ibrahima Konate.
The club have reportedly set a deadline of this summer's transfer window in order to get the defender to renew. Konate, 26, is approaching the last 12 months of his current deal and will be free to discuss a free transfer with overseas teams in January.
Should contract talks fail between now and the end of this window then expect Liverpool to listen to offers.
Konate out of contract in 2026
Madrid are of course sniffing around.
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There are reports that the 15-time European champions would pay a fee for the France international this summer and are not solely interested in him as a free transfer.
Then there's Paris Saint-Germain.
The European champions made an offer for Konate to become new club captain if he moved back to his home city - as revealed by Anfieldwatch.
But to that cohort you can now add another two clubs.
According to a new report in Caught Offside, fellow FIFA Club World Cup participants Bayern Munich and Al-Hilal are seeking a deal for Konate.
© IMAGO
Al-Hilal and Bayern want Konate
'Al-Hilal, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain remain linked with Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate as they seek to reinforce their defensive lines,' a report reads.
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Liverpool are in a race against time for Konate to renew his deal. Having signed from RB Leipzig back in 2021 for around £35m, Konate is on a reported £140k per week.
For a renewal he would like to rise to £200k per week - and that is not a sum Richard Hughes is currently prepared to meet.
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