Liverpool centre back Ibrahima Konaté is reported to be chasing a contract which would establish him as one of the club’s top earners.
Konaté is in the final year of his contract and talks over an extension have so far failed to yield a positive result. Real Madrid are watching closely in the hope of sealing a blockbuster free transfer—a scenario Liverpool already know well after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure for the Santiago Bernabéu during the summer, albeit for a small fee in the end.
Talks between Liverpool and Konaté are ongoing but are a long way away from a positive resolution. Crucially, however, David Ornstein reports that the Frenchman has not yet formally turned down a new contract.
Negotiations have centred on Konaté’s salary, which is believed to be significantly higher than the widely reported sum of £70,000 ($94,000). Indeed, his real earnings are believed to be more than double that amount.
It is for that reason that talks over an extension have proven so complicated thus far. Konaté is seeking a pay rise which would see him join the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk among Liverpool’s highest earners.
Hope of an agreement has not yet been abandoned but Konaté and Liverpool are thought to be in a stalemate as it stands, leaving the Reds vulnerable as he approaches the final six months of his contract.
Madrid are free to hold formal negotiations with Konaté as early as January, having already established their desire to get a deal done behind the scenes.
That being said, it was recently reported that Madrid’s decision-makers are not all in agreement when it comes to a move for Konaté, with some inside the club believing he is not the right target. By contrast, everyone involved believed signing Alexander-Arnold was a no-brainer last season.
Konaté’s early form has left a lot to be desired and has attracted plenty of frustration from Liverpool fans, although manager Arne Slot was quick to remind supporters that the Frenchman is far from the only player to have fallen short of expectations this year.
READ THE LATEST LIVERPOOL NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Report: Ibrahima Konaté’s Liverpool Contract Demands Revealed.
