Liverpool have reportedly picked out four potential replacements for Ibrahima Konate, who saw contract talks ‘killed’ for two reasons.
Last week, we reported that Konate will be one of the first signings for Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho this summer.
This deal sees Konate fall upwards after he was one of Liverpool‘s poorest performers during the 2025/26 campaign, though he has shown previously he can be a top-level defender when at his very best.
Konate’s form last season means most Liverpool supporters are not too disappointed over his exit, but he will need to be replaced this summer.
Despite the arrival of Jeremy Jacquet, the Reds are now short of centre-back options, because another likely exit will leave new head coach Andoni Iraola with only Virgil van Dijk and Giovanni Leoni as Liverpool’s other players in this department.
Now, a report from Caught Offside claims Liverpool are ‘preparing a shortlist’ of four replacements for Konate, including Tottenham Hotspur starlet Luka Vuskovic.
The Reds are said to be ‘monitoring’ the 19-year-old’s situation, while long-term target Goncalo Inacio is ‘high on the list’. The other targets named are Sam Beukema and Murillo.
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Two reasons why a new deal for Ibrahima Konate was ‘killed’
Real Madrid’s interest is obviously a contributing factor to Konate leaving Liverpool, but Football Insider have reported that talks over a new deal potentially worth £40m were ‘killed’.
Unsurprisingly, this came down to the money, with Konate wanting an ‘increased’ salary while Liverpool were only willing to give him a contract on similar terms to his previous deal.
It is also noted that the ‘additional costs to the player, such as agent fees, eventually led to talks over a new deal collapsing’.
In a recent interview, Konate has admitted that the sad passings of Diogo Jota and his father made him “suffer from depression” during the 2025/26 campaign, and this goes some way to explain why there was such a sudden drop-off from the defender this season.
In an interview with France Inter radio, Konate admitted: “There are low points, there’s depression. You can suffer from depression in football too; there’s no need to be ashamed to say so.
“It’s true that I’ve often heard players say they were suffering from depression and that fans or people on the outside didn’t understand because they were earning a lot of money. But no, that’s rubbish and you shouldn’t say that.
“Depression is personal; it’s deep inside you. When you’re depressed, it starts in the heart, goes up to the brain and takes over your whole body. For me, that’s what’s hard, and we need to talk about it.”