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It took Ibrahima Konate three years to firmly establish himself as Liverpool's first-choice partner for Virgil van Dijk, but he has shown this season just why he was so highly rated as a young defender.

Konate has formed a fine partnership with the Reds captain, leapfrogging Jarell Quansah in the pecking order and also keeping Joe Gomez at bay when he was fit.

However, an issue has been creeping up in Liverpool's rearview mirror regarding Konate's future at the club: his contract situation.

Off the field, Liverpool's 2024-25 season has been dominated by speculation surrounding the futures of Mohamed Salah, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, with all three players, up until recently, having been set to become free agents on July 1.

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It was confirmed last week that Salah is staying, and it is widely expected that Van Dijk will join him, while Alexander-Arnold is expected to depart for Real Madrid on a free transfer.

Losing a player of Alexander-Arnold's value — both in terms of what he provides on the pitch as well as his actual market value — is a major blow, and it is one that Liverpool is at risk of experiencing again in 12 months' time

That's because Konate's contract is due to expire at the end of next season, and Paris Saint-Germain is circling as the French club looks to make improvements to its already brilliant squad.

Konate is a self-confessed PSG fan, having supported the club since he was a young boy, and the prospect of playing for Luis Enrique's team will undoubtedly appeal to the 25-year-old

He witnessed first hand just how good PSG is last month, when Liverpool was eliminated by Enrique's men at the last-16 stage of the Champions League, and the Parc des Princes club is now prepared to go all in on signing him this summer, according to Anfield Watch.



The Reds do not hand out lucrative contracts willy-nilly, and the kind of money he is demanding would likely make him the club's third highest-paid player behind Salah and Van Dijk.

Konate simply has not done enough to justify that demand, but Liverpool is undeniably in a tricky spot as the player has it in his power to run his contract down and walk away for free next summer, likely securing a tidy signing-on fee with his new club in the process.

Liverpool tends to get big contract decisions right, most recently agreeing a deal with Salah that suited both parties, but Salah did not have the pull of playing for his boyhood club to consider, so the Reds might have their work cut out to retain Konate in the long run.