Liverpool FC Forum

Ship him to Saudi if Real don't take him. Sure he'd go there for the big bucks.

Well it looks like thats another leaving on a free. I mean he's been absolutely terrible this season so im not too bothered to be honest. But at 27, in his prime, we are letting another player leave for absolutely nothing.

Knew he wasn't going to sign what was on offer. Its honestly ridiculous the amount of players we have let walk for nothing and struggle to see the business sense behind it. Hes just turned 27 as well. Fwiw I think he wanted to stay or he would have announced it before the Brentford game so he could get a send off. He was a decent player for us and deserved that imo.
Hes a good signing for any club on a free. Best of luck to him I say.

We need to sign Van Dijks replacement now. With Konate gone it puts a lot of pressure on Jaquet and Leoni to hit the ground running in a new league. Leoni is coming back off a serious injury as well.

He lost a team mate at the beginning of the season then lost his Dad mid season, those things will always have an impact. At 27 he’s just entering his prime years and it will cost a lot to replace him. Switched off a lot this season but he’s big, strong and fast.

https://www.thisisanfield.com/2026/05/w ... t-renewal/

The club decided in the end not to proceed with a deal to protect their wage structure. On a reported 80k a week and wanted 200.

Sometimes I do be scratching my head at some of the decisions we make. Is Konate worth 200k on a contract renewal ? Yes he is.  Both our young new recruits have zero experience between them. Leoni has only about 30 games under his belt over 2 seasons with no international or European xp. Jaquet is another, Has a few more games under his belt than leoni but again no international or European xp. That currently leaves us with Van Dijk and Gomez which is a massive gamble considering one is injury prone and the other will be 35 and expected to play every minute.

I would be seriously concerned going into next season with only them to rely on.

So he wants 200k per week which is about 10m per year. He leaves on a free and we have to replace him with a 70m player. Surly give him a four year contract which is 40m, less than his market value and he will still have a resale value. It makes more sense to keep him.

Funny thing is if we signed him on a free this summer we would pay him the 200k per week. 

Yeah its madness. They would have known what his demands where 2 years ago when they 1st approached this so why did they drag it out when they had no intention of giving him what he wants.  Could have sold him for something or do the right thing and keep him as he's a good player. As pointed out above he's been through the ringer in the last year and only coming into his prime. A 4 year extension would give us time to see how it goes and retain value in the player. I'd honestly rather Van Dijk left as he's at the end of his career. Played literally every minute this season and now off to the WC where he will play a lot more.  It looks like we expect him to play every minute next season as well 

Another player lost on a free. It's like the club doesn't plan more than an year ahead, if that.

200k is not a ridiculous amount for an experienced title winning CB who's already given the club 5 years good service and is just about to enter the best 5 - 6 years of his career.i'm not saying it's bargain of the century or anything but it doesnt strike me as being overly exorbitant either.
Yes his form dropped off and he did come in for some criticism from fans but that criticism pretty much ended the moment it became clear what he was dealing with in his personal life.
Our back 4 took too much sh.it this season, no one can win a tackle in front of them, no one runs either we get outworked by everyone, any back 4 would struggle in those circumstances, you could have Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta etc back there and they'd have their hands full.

With Gakpo on £250k a week no wonder everyone else will ask for a bigger than expected salary. If the club was worried about our wage structure they should have thought about that before paying our worst senior player that much.

With that said though, I kinda see the club's point of view on Konate as well. Ibou isn't more than just a decent CB, he's not a world beater tbh, never has been. Also, even though this season he miraculously hasn't been out that often, he's usually way too injury prone which you'd expect to become worse as he ages.

I still think letting him go on a free is a mistake and his wage demands aren't that ridiculous (if the reports are correct) considering what other players are being payed, but I also see why the club is reluctant to pay him what he wants.

He’s been awful this season. I can’t say I’m sorry he’s leaving.

He should have been sold last summer when he refused to sign a new deal.

More f@@k ups from our side of things.

He’s been awful this season. I can’t say I’m sorry he’s leaving.

He should have been sold last summer when he refused to sign a new deal.

More f@@k ups from our side of things.

As i say the back 4 including Konate have take too much sh.it this season, they sit behind a team that can't win a tackle, doesn't run, doesnt have a specialist DM and loses its shape everytime there's a substitution.
Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta and Nesta would struggle in those circumstances.

Disappointing we are losing another player with value for nothing. The timer starts when they are down to the last 2 years of their contract and think we need to start being more ruthless in these situations.

Still, it must be tough for Konate on 80k to see Gakpo on 250k when he’s been a servant to the club.