02 Jun 2026 15:16:11
Being reported on X/Twitter that Konate is off to Real - another one on a free.
02 Jun 2026 15:40:24
We already know he's leaving on a free. That's his choice.
I'm sure we've got our value out of him at £36m over 5 years. Would've been nice to get a transfer fee, but so be it.
Good luck to him and RM if that's where he ends up. I'm really not too bothered, tbf.
02 Jun 2026 15:46:36
First mistake he makes he'll be getting abuse. He'll be loaned out in a couple of years time.
02 Jun 2026 16:01:54
All Real want him on a free for is to sell him on in a year's time.
02 Jun 2026 16:04:55
Zabarnyi, Diomande and Palestra would be a sterling start to this window.
We'd still need someone to replace Endo and Jones, amongst others.
02 Jun 2026 16:12:18
So poor by the Reds, that's two to Madrid for free.
02 Jun 2026 16:19:10
Good luck to them trying to get a fee for him. He could have signed a pre-contract with another club from Jan onwards, and yet no one wanted to touch him.
02 Jun 2026 16:21:30
If Konate does end up at Madrid, that team do very well telling players to run down their contracts. Maybe we should be doing the same, save us a few quid.
02 Jun 2026 16:41:40
It's interesting that Real Madrid seem to get a lot of top players for free.
Perhaps, I'm wearing a tin foil hat, but I think something needs to be looked at there.
02 Jun 2026 16:57:18
Terrible defender. He'll make them even worse.
But I would like the next bit of transfer business to be an incoming player, seen as Konate, Salah and Robbo have all departed.
02 Jun 2026 17:00:59
RM have an aura which attracts most players. They are the undisputable kings of Europe, although, knowing FCB got caught paying off refs (for years), it's not a stretch to think that RM too have some kind of corruption on their side.
Macca was the only one of our bosmans to flourish there, whilst the rest have floundered.
02 Jun 2026 17:01:59
Real Madrid whisper in players' ears, telling them not to sign contracts and join them on a free.
No rules broken, but dodgy as hell, I think.
02 Jun 2026 17:09:13
It seems Konate had a win-win situation - get a bumper new, heavily incentivised contract with all the bonuses you can imagine or go and play for Real Madrid with a signing on fee, while being able to tell the Liverpool fans he's saddened and wanted to stay.
02 Jun 2026 16:09:32
It won't take long before he does that VV. Good riddance.
02 Jun 2026 17:13:29
I don't get why players are so attracted to Real but I'm not a player.
02 Jun 2026 17:15:46
We should have no problem attacking their right hand side then, if we get them in the Champions League.
02 Jun 2026 17:16:36
They are welcome to him... He's been poor for a while. Much better out there. If he wasn't a Liverpool player, he'd be nothing.
02 Jun 2026 17:25:40
Time to move on from Konate. Personally, I'm glad he's gone. We can do a lot better. Sign players who won't hold the club to ransom.
02 Jun 2026 17:28:10
Can we expect Macca to run his contract down to go to Madrid?
02 Jun 2026 17:30:50
This is as surprising as Trent's move to Madrid.
02 Jun 2026 16:22:23
It does seem weird then the deal was close and then fell through, it didn't happen due to Real getting into his ear about leaving on a free did they. No surely not.
But I seem to remember that he stalled talks because there was reported interest from Real at one point? Eds am I right with that or was that just rumours?
02 Jun 2026 17:34:56
I wouldn't say it's poor as it's simply footie and the player didn't want to sign. I'm still fumin' over McManaman. It's always gone on and ultimately down to the player, not the club. Regardless of a missed transfer fee, half of the fans don't want him anyway, so they weren't going to give him silly wages.
02 Jun 2026 17:36:45
Good shout, Fatwallet, wouldn't be surprised if that were to happen.
02 Jun 2026 17:41:37
Stromsgodset - Real Madrid may be good at instructing players to run down their contracts, but they've not won so much as a bean since 2024.
Signing Konate is their loss, not ours. To blatantly run down your contract all with the intent of signing for a particular rival club shows a trait of self-interest unsuited to developing a successful team.
As if Madrid didn't already have a bunch of self-centred players already....
02 Jun 2026 17:42:21
Need to start being ruthless. New contracts offered with 2 years remaining, and if not accepted, then straight on the market and look for a replacement. If the FSG model is to get players with potential resale value, we are doing a pretty mediocre job of realising that consistently.
We can't keep relying on teams to spend £20M a piece on the likes of Ibe, Brewster, Doak and Solanke.
02 Jun 2026 17:43:36
Szoboszlai would jump at the chance to go to Madrid. One of the reasons he was so openly supportive of Trent going and was critical of fans booing Trent, etc. He's a Madrid fan.
It's mostly a question of if Madrid want him, as Valverde or others play in his position.
02 Jun 2026 17:45:01
The funny thing is, we've been told for a while how weak our right hand side of defence had been over the last few seasons with Trent and Konate 'unable to defend'.
When we (inevitably) draw Real Madrid in the Champions League next season, we should have no problem scoring goals down that side now!
02 Jun 2026 17:47:43
SA. To me, it sounded like the opposite. Konate seemed surprised that we left him go. There is a term "strategic incompleteness" used in contract negotiations, where everything is agreed except a few small points, leaving the parties with the option of not completing, even though one of the parties might think it's as good as agreed.
Sounds like the club left things unsigned, allowing them room to change their mind, which they did. As for Madrid, they see a way of making money.
02 Jun 2026 17:50:31
Has he been learning Spanish recently?
02 Jun 2026 17:52:56
A new contractual structure has been in place for several months with senior figures and recruitment staff aligned on a more consistent approach to negotiations. Existing players such as Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo have already agreed new terms under this framework, while every signing made last summer arrived with the model firmly established.
Ibrahima Konate, however, was unwilling to commit to those terms. My understanding is that Liverpool view his situation as one they do not intend to see repeated. The club recognises it has ultimately left itself exposed, but maintaining consistency across the squad is now considered more important than making exceptions, regardless of a player's status.
That principle extends beyond the current situation. Liverpool are already planning for a number of future contract decisions and remain conscious of how previous scenarios have unfolded.
The same thinking applies to several key members of the current squad. Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai may all face important decisions in the year ahead. Liverpool's position is increasingly clear. Players will have opportunities to commit their futures, but if agreements cannot be reached, the club will act accordingly.
However, the pairing of Alisson & Virgil van Dijk may be exceptions next summer due to previous scenarios and how they played out, but there is a growing determination within the hierarchy not to lose valuable assets for nothing, nor allow contract situations to dictate the club's wider strategy.
The feeling is that Liverpool are building a healthier, more sustainable environment, one based on structure, planning and consistency. I.
02 Jun 2026 17:57:59
Westwood, what if the player doesn't want the move? Can't stop them running down their contracts. This is my issue w giving Gravy 280k a week basic; we can't sell these players on unless they might be willing to take a payout.
There isn't a single player in our squad that I'd be sorry to see leave if the fee was good for the club.
I'm not onboard with paying stupid wages for players who can't put in a shift for the club and the fans. If Dom doesn't want to sign and he's got eyes for RM, so be it.
02 Jun 2026 18:08:47
FSW, good information, but again, what if Dom, Macca, Jones, etc. refuse to commit and pull a Trent/Konate?
02 Jun 2026 17:38:52
He never had any intention of signing a new contract, massive wages wanted was a ploy to avoid a new contract agreement being agreed, another rat that had a whisper from a club not to sign a new contract then get a large signing on fee, money grabbing slime ball, did it a bit crafter than rat number 1 and avoided the rath of the fans but we know what he was up to, bet he speaks fluent Spanish too, probably same tutor as the other toss pot.
Should have seen this coming and dumped him with reserves last year spoiling his world cup aspirations.
Sounds childish but somewhere we have to draw the line on this kind of behaviour as others will do exactly the same not just our lads but others too.
I agree, this smells like a behind the scenes tap up, wouldn't buy any Madrid players when they do these dirty tricks.
02 Jun 2026 18:11:18
RM poaching goes back to McManaman for free, but at least we got £8 million for Michael Owen, with Nunez coming the opposite way for free.
TAA went when it was the Chinese New Year of the Snake, most apt.
CON-ate is the Chinese New Year of the Horse, the Cart Horse, in his case, most applicable.
Throw in Mbappe as well. Fancy having a few sherbets with that miserable crew.
The Chinese New Year for 2027-28 is the "GOAT" step forward, new LFC Manager Andoni Iraola, well deserved! Most apt.
02 Jun 2026 18:22:18
The difference between Konate & Arnold Rat is that Arnold Rat gave it all that "this means more" rubbish and all that trite crap about being a local lad. Then, giving it the "shhh" to the crowd, learning Spanish, and refusing to talk to the media whilst vice captain.
Konate isn't a local lad, has no connection to the club or city, so is a transient employee. Should have been sold last summer but wasn't. If we get that lad on loan from PSG, that will be a good solution. But I'd happily sell MacAllister & Szoboszlai now to prevent it happening again.
02 Jun 2026 18:26:02
But didn't Konate stall on signing a contract due to interest from Real and PSG at one point, or was that just rumours?
02 Jun 2026 18:36:34
Konate and his team have played a blinder, but anyway, humans are driven by self interest, and it is only us and our tribalism that expect different.
02 Jun 2026 19:00:49
Business is business. We didn't think he was worth what he valued himself at. So he's free to go anywhere he wants.
I don't think he's engineered it. The club has been slow to sort out contracts and has set precedent on wages with other players.
The wage structure needs rebalancing.
Don't be surprised if we can't renew Dom either. And clearly we have no intention of renewing Macca.
02 Jun 2026 19:22:24
AM is an instantly replaceable player, but I'd hope we could agree an extension with DS. He's good.
02 Jun 2026 19:36:45
They will probably finish outside CL spots with Konate moonwalking in that defense. They have zero defenders that can defend.
02 Jun 2026 19:46:30
So the donkey joins the circus. Wait til they find out he can't do any tricks.
02 Jun 2026 20:25:15
Not sure, Chewy. I've seen him vanish while on the pitch.
02 Jun 2026 21:07:15
Liverpool would have been advised from his medical data.
02 Jun 2026 23:09:52
The right side of RM's defence is shaping up nicely - Ibou at RCB and TAA at RB. Not a fearsome prospect to play against.
03 Jun 2026 10:25:56
WDW, question is, who do we use on the left to batter them?