30 Jun 2025 13:50:36
Konate's new contract has taken positive steps forward on the wage side of things.
He would however like to be assured that a move in the future would be fairly granted and that LFC wouldn't stand in his way.
Ta.
30 Jun 2025 14:03:21
Thanks Carra.
Sounds like a clause for specific buyers (like PSG or RM)?
30 Jun 2025 14:04:41
Wonderful news Carra.
Hope we get Diaz situtation also sorted out. one way or the other.
Any truth in this guehi rumours?
30 Jun 2025 14:06:38
A reasonable release clause in any new contract could ease his fears maybe?
30 Jun 2025 14:33:45
The club don't do release clauses. It's a key part of our transfer strategy. No way do we make an exception for Konate.
30 Jun 2025 14:40:51
Yeh if they pay the asking price, we will let you go! Simple.
30 Jun 2025 14:45:34
I don't like this need to assure a future transfer. Just sell him and focus on buying a top cb to partner Virgil and lead the line in the future (Romero) .
30 Jun 2025 14:59:04
I agree, Vak. I want players at Liverpool who are genuinely committed to the club - not those focused on exit clauses and planning their next move. That’s not loyalty, it’s nonsense. If there’s truth to this, then we should sell him this summer.
30 Jun 2025 15:08:42
Babbity, not to sound facetious, but how do you know? Our management team has changed in the last 12m so don't assume to apply past experiences.
VakPa, if a contract with a reasonable clause in it ties in Konate for a few more years, it gives us a chance to bed in new players during this season (youngsters, Guehi etc) and allow Konate to leave next summer when we have some more established alternatives in place.
Seems sensible to me.
30 Jun 2025 15:15:16
I agree VakPa. Alarm bells would be ringing if I’m offering someone a job and they ask if I will let them go if they want to leave in future.
Suffice to say they wouldn’t get the job.
30 Jun 2025 15:24:20
I have no problem with a gentleman's agreement that if his dream club offer a reasonable sum in the future that the club will let him make the move. It is a much better option than losing him on a free next year or offloading him at a bargain price this summer. If the two clubs can work together at that point in time it can also be agreed in advance and allow us to lineup a replacement without appearing to be desperate or with cash to burn. It could be a win-win-win situation, the issue I can foresee is each individual's idea of what is a 'reasonable sum'.
30 Jun 2025 15:58:39
I don’t see this as an issue, give him a release clause which suitably compensates us, restrict it so that it’s only available to clubs outside of England, time limit it so that it only becomes effective in a couple of years and we’ve protected our asset. I think Hughes is pragmatic enough to go for that.
30 Jun 2025 15:59:28
Yeah Babbity is spot on, we don't do release clauses.
See Emre Can for the last player that asked for one.
30 Jun 2025 15:59:58
Interestingly a lot of the tabloid sites are leaning the other way that we're going to be looking to move Konate on for a (relatively) low fee of £40-£50m.
Given his 'home' is PSG, I wonder if a deal could be constructed where Zaire Emery (who we have been tentatively linked with) comes the other way?
30 Jun 2025 16:09:29
He doesn’t sound very committed, if he’s not 100% committed then he goes.
30 Jun 2025 16:17:09
We all have ambitions so if he wants to play for RM or PSG in the future I get that.
But for him to do that he has to play out of his skin for us. Which means we get a top performer and hopefully top money for him when he does go.
Unfortunately for most foreign players, and he who shall not be named, we are not the end goal. But I am all for them putting in top performances to reach our goal and then when they do move we replace accordingly.
30 Jun 2025 16:28:28
Just tell him we won't do a release clause as it sets a precedence and we will not sell at La Liga valuations. However to achieve a going rate to replace is all we look to get.
Others will disagree but he is never going to be near a VVD, he is a good CB with a sizable stature, but not a brilliant footballer. We have to be realistic and treat his resigning as a bonus and 'going rate' is better than free. He can definately be replaced and we buy time to do that if he signs.
30 Jun 2025 16:31:55
Hmm sounds way off to me, If he does not want to be here forever in his current mind set then he can go now simples.
I only want players here that live and breath LFC plenty of players out there would give a lot to join us and be with us for a very long time.
30 Jun 2025 16:32:23
Would surprise me for three reasons:
(i) we don't usually make such agreements
(ii) we have never stood in the way of a move, certainly not in recent years
(iii) the teams he would like to go to (say RM and PSG) have more than enough money to pay his market value.
So all sounds a bit odd to me.
30 Jun 2025 16:46:14
Ok, so no release clause. Then what? He won’t sign…. and won’t agree to be sold…. and we lose him on a free next summer……and everyone blames poor Richard Hughes and the FSG out mob start banging the drum.
Surely there can be a world where he plays for us for 2 or maybe 3 more years, then gets his dream move and we get a fair amount of transfer cash from him.
Not every player we own has to have had Liverpool posters on their bedroom wall when they were a lad.
30 Jun 2025 17:20:11
It may be like the Kelleher situation. Stay on for a bit (until the new keeper arrives in CK's case), get a pay rise and then allowed move for a modest fee.
It could suit both club and player.
30 Jun 2025 17:30:45
Thanks Carra, keep it coming.
I don't like the fact he obviously prefers to be somewhere else (hopefully PSG rather than RM), but singing a contract with a release or gentleman's agreement is one step better than what TAA did and gets us time and money.
Id rather get him signed up and hopefully sell him on in a year or 2. And use the money to put towards buying Quansah back in a couple of years ?.
30 Jun 2025 17:49:24
Don't see the issue. Secure his services with the understanding that we let him move if his dream clubs PSG/ RM come in for him. He's a premium league winning defender. Sort his contract and it gives us longer to seek a viable replacement.
30 Jun 2025 17:51:22
No issue for me at all. He might want to play for the club he supports in the future ?♂️. He signs a new contract and we get a good fee! It’s better than the situation we find ourselves in at the moment. It’s a win win for both parties.
30 Jun 2025 18:12:41
I actually think release clauses are a decent way of doing business for both sides and make it more likely that players don’t leave on a free by running down contracts as the only way of ensuring that they don’t get priced out of future moves. Had Trent a contract that allowed him to leave for say 60m he may well have signed a contract and liverpool protect the financial investment. We can hardly complain about release clauses when we have utilised them when buying players so often!
30 Jun 2025 18:51:02
Seems reasonable to me. If true it shows an openness and transparency from both sides, which is to be respected. If he wants PSG/ RM in future he can have it for a set fee that is fair for all parties. That's a decent and human way to do business IMO.
30 Jun 2025 19:58:59
Didn’t Suarez have a release clause? I seem to recall Arsenal offering £ 40,000,001 to activate something or other? I also recallLiverpool told them to ‘sling their hook ‘ so perhaps having a release clause doesn’t make any potential sale a foregone conclusion?