Liverpool make move in bid to keep Ibrahima Konate from following Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid

According to Foot Mercato, Liverpool have sent a new and improved offer to the centre-back after their initial proposal was knocked back by the 26-year-old. The Reds are keen to tie the Frenchman down to a new deal and avoid a repeat of the situation where Alexander-Arnold ran down his contract before joining Madrid.

Liverpool looked to be in panic stations earlier this year when key trio Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah were in the last few months of their contracts. The latter two eventually penned two-year deals but academy product Alexander-Arnold ended his long stay with the club, much to the dismay of many fans. After selling backup centre-back Jarell Quansah, the Reds can't afford to lose Konate anytime soon, unless they strengthen in that position, but Madrid are not an easy club to refuse.

Former Sochaux star Konate joined Liverpool in 2021 from RB Leipzig for a fee around £36 million ($49m) and has made 132 appearances for the club since, scoring five goals in the process. Following that Anfield switch, he has also been capped 23 times by his country.

As Liverpool wait to see if the 6ft 4in Konate responds positively to their reported contract offer, Arne Slot's team continue their pre-season campaign when they take on AC Milan on Saturday before rounding off the month against Yokohama FM next Wednesday.