Sam McGuire: Why Ibrahima Konate, who is prone to injuries, might be sacrificed this summer
Richard Hughes has a long list of things he needs to do. The new sports director of Liverpool, who takes up his position in June, will have a new head coach to welcome, transfers to manage, sales to make, and contract disputes to settle. He will also need to make sure that important employees who leave this summer are replaced in time for the upcoming season.
For the former Portsmouth midfielder, it’s the epitome of a baptism of fire on Merseyside. In terms of contracts, the Reds are presently in an advantageous situation. The captain, Virgil van Dijk, vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold, and top scorer, Mohamed Salah, are all entering the last year of their contracts. Hughes’s top priority will be resolving their futures. It may also be necessary to make some really cruel choices. Because of the attention that has been focused only on this three, some people have received less attention. Ibrahima Konate is one player who fits into this description.
The latter two years of his contract are about to begin for the Frenchman. Back in December, a rumor from France claimed that the former RB Leipzig player was scheduled to begin contract negotiations. However, as May approaches, no further updates have been provided. Liverpool’s dismal record for renewal Curtis Jones is under contract for three more years, and there has been more discussion about him. What is Konate’s situation and why hasn’t it been resolved? More essential, though, is why Liverpool is now frequently encountering these kinds of circumstances? Because, well, this isn’t limited to this summer? Wijnaldum Gini departed on a free. On a free, Roberto Firmino departed. There was only a year remaining on Sadio Mane’s contract.
When negotiating a better deal, agents won’t want to work with interim sporting directors, and players won’t want to dedicate their prime years to a team they don’t know who will be in charge. This month, Konate turns 25. A new contract would probably keep him in his late 20s, so this is a crucial period in his career.
He is the starting center-back there. You base your team around the defender. THOUGH CASE FOR KONATE SALE Is it ridiculous to imagine that Konate could be sacrificed this summer, as absurd as it sounds? They won’t want to let him to finish the last twelve months of his contract, do they? Hence, you can either offer him a new contract or sell now. But his salary will increase to £80,000 per week under any new contract. Given these injury concerns, is a bumper deal still reasonable? Do his achievements even merit a raise in salary? Is it possible to provide a part-time player a starting salary? Hughes will need to respond to each of these inquiries promptly. The modern athletic