‘We are in talks’ – Arne Slot issues Ibrahima Konate contract update as coach’s stance made clear

Arne Slot has confirmed that Liverpool are in talks over a potential new contract for Ibrahima Konate and has made it clear that he’d love for the Frenchman to remain at the club.

The 26-year-old sees his current deal at Anfield expire in June, and there were reports last month that negotiations over a renewal had stalled, fuelling speculation that his days on Merseyside could be numbered.

His centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk – who found himself in a similar situation this time last year – went on the record this week to voice his firm hope that the France international will commit his long-term future to the Reds, and now the head coach has had his say on the subject.

Slot confirms Liverpool are in contract talks with Konate

Speaking to the media on Friday, Slot stated that by entering contract talks with Konate, Liverpool have signalled their intent to keep their number 5 at Anfield for the foreseeable future.

The Dutchman said (via Liverpool Echo): “We are in talks with him so that tells you what we want. It’s clear we would like him to stay but negotiations are ongoing so let’s see where that ends. We wouldn’t be in negotiations if we didn’t want him to stay.”

The Reds’ head coach added: “He has had a very good partnership with Virgil since I’ve been here and, just like Virgil, he has always been fit, touch wood. These two are vital for us, not only because of the quality they have but because of the lack of options we have behind.”

Konate has been reliable for Liverpool despite criticism this season

It’s been a tough season at times on and off the pitch for Konate, who’s faced some strong criticism of his performances and has also had to cope with the personal tragedy of losing his father last month.

Since returning from compassionate leave, though, the 26-year-old has played excellently, and Van Dijk rightly lauded an ‘outstanding’ display from his centre-back partner in the hard-fought win at Sunderland in midweek.

Also, as Slot pointed out, the Frenchman has been hugely reliable in terms of his availability, missing only one Premier League match in the current campaign (which came at the time that he was mourning his father’s death).

For believers of the adage that ‘availability is the best ability’, Konate has been a prime embodiment of that mantra. In a season which has seen Liverpool ravaged by defensive injuries, our number 5 has been worth his weight in gold in terms of being consistently avaiable for selection.

There isn’t a whole lot of time for the parties involved to reach an agreement on a new contract for the defender, but it’s worth recalling that it wasn’t until mid-April of last year that Mo Salah and Van Dijk penned extensions to finally put Kopites’ nerves at ease.

Hopefully we’ll see proverbial white smoke emanating from Anfield in the coming weeks to indicate that the 26-year-old is staying put for the long-term.

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