Liverpool can boldly sell ‘superstar’ for £150,000 a year

Liverpool, who’ve regained their kind below Arne Slott, might be aiming for silver in 2026. Retaining the Premier League title could also be tough – Arsenal lead the desk by 10 factors – however there may be little doubt that the Reds have a giant probability within the Champions League and FA Cup.

To achieve their goal, the Anfield outfit could have to make vital modifications within the January switch window, regardless of a document summer time spending of over £400m.

FSG are pragmatic, if not bold, and their choice to power Ibrahima Konate to a brand new contract has divided their fanbase, and for good motive.

Newest updates on Ibrahima Konate’s Liverpool future

Konate has been certainly one of Liverpool’s worst performing gamers this season. The centre-back has been a key participant for Liverpool since becoming a member of from RB Leipzig in 2021, however it’s no exaggeration to say that he has fallen by the wayside, missing confidence as a consequence of his failures this yr.

Liverpool’s severe want for a brand new defender does not even take into consideration Konate, who’s in dire form heading into free company.

That mentioned, the France worldwide has maintained his health ranges all through the season and, though this has been tough up to now, he has loved a visual enchancment in kind this month, which might be vital in establishing Liverpool’s constant kind.

FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes are persevering with negotiations with Konate concerning a contract extension.

This opinion is polarizing given his abysmal degree for a lot of this time period, however Virgil van Dijk is not getting any youthful and it is smart given Liverpool’s total lack of defensive depth.

We’ll wait to see if Liverpool tie the large defender to a brand new and improved contract, however he isn’t the one participant dealing with an unsure future at Anfield, with one other slot mainstay liable to shedding his job after an astonishing underperformance this time period.

Liverpool mainstays prone to be offered in 2026

Liverpool are a crew in transition and there are various new items that can redefine the slot system. It’s going to take time for issues to click on into place – the vastly proficient Florian Wirtz is a good instance of this – however with Alexis Mac Allister doubtlessly becoming a member of Konate and doubtlessly leaving, some modifications could also be wanted within the central mainframe.

It have to be confused that Mac Allister is a unbelievable footballer and has been a vastly vital participant since becoming a member of from Brighton in 2023. However he isn’t down, his kind has plummeted and he has been on the rotten coronary heart of Liverpool’s struggles all through the very marketing campaign.

His departure was stunning. Mac Allister isn’t cellular or dynamic. He lacks engine room command and instinct, two vital points of a broad talent set.

Too usually this season, Liverpool have been performed too simply, reduce open like a Christmas turkey or torn aside like low-cost crackers. Mac Allister’s struggles are symptomatic of wider tactical points, with one content material creator even saying he was “just like Fabinho in his closing yr on Merseyside”.

Nonetheless, everybody is aware of his talents. Eye-popping finishes, match-winning challenges and defense-splitting passes, Mac Allister has it in his locker, and he was named a ‘Celebrity’ by pundit Joe Cole for that very motive.

If Liverpool determine to signal a South American participant in 2026, it could definitely be a controversial choice. Nevertheless, Mac Allister has carried out effectively under his personal requirements and, regardless of Soccer Transfers valuing him at a whopping £103m, there isn’t any doubt that he has suitors.

Like Konate earlier than Los Blancos’ withdrawal, there was reported curiosity from Actual Madrid this season, and FSG will quickly must make a tough choice.

Preliminary work has already begun to evaluate Mac Allister’s stance, together with his £150,000-a-week contract now in its third yr. He’s definitely a ‘famous person’ of a participant and if Liverpool had been to set their sights on a brand new midfield deputy, they would definitely command a big payment.