And they’re at risk of the same thing happening to centre-back Ibrahima Konate, who is yet to agree an extension to his contract which expires in the summer of 2026.
Sporting director Richard Hughes is now thought to be focused on a new deal for Konate having secured the futures of both Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.
A report from The Times revealed the 25-year-old’s representatives want a significant wage increase to remain at the club.
‘The club began talks with the France international before October last year. The defender earns about £80,000 a week, and it is understood his representatives were seeking closer to £200,000 a week.’
Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with a move for Konate for some time and Anfield Watch claimed this week that the Ligue 1 giants ‘are all-in on signing’ the centre-back.
The report adds:
‘They’re hoping to persuade Konate to move back to Paris, his home. The defender previously played at Paris FC, the ‘other’ Parisian team, before his transfer to RB Leipzig.
‘PSG plan to push for the signing in the summer when Liverpool have little choice but to listen to offers. This comes at a time when Marquinhos could leave the club after 12 years, opening space for a new first-choice centre-back.’
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But Football Insider claim Real Madrid are also ‘very interested’ in Konate as Florentino Perez looks to refresh an ageing Los Blancos backline.
That’s despite the Real Madrid president reportedly working his magic in talks with Arsenal bosses as he watched his side lose to the Gunners in the Champions League quarter-final.
Perez is said to have got a ‘verbal commitment’ from Arsenal that Madrid will have the right of first refusal if Arsenal decide to sell Saliba at any stage before the end of his contract in 2027.
A report from Spain states:
‘In fact, Florentino Pérez took away from Arsenal the verbal commitment that if at any time they decide to put the French player for sale (he has a contract until 2027), for any reason, they will first notify the Santiago Bernabéu stadium of that decision and, at that moment, the merengue team will decide if he may be interested in the footballer or not.
‘This agreement with the gunners does not imply anything, really, but at least it is a way to have ‘controlled’ the player having the approval of his club, since William Saliba has always been followed by Juni Calafat, especially because he is one of the great defenders of world soccer and his age invites that his performance will go to more, so in Real Madrid they do not want to lose sight of him.’
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