Defender Ibrahima Konate is in the final year of his Liverpool contract, and all attempts to extend his contract so far have been unsuccessful.The France international enjoyed his best spell with the Merseyside outfit last term, forming a formidable partnership with captain Virgil van Dijk as they went on to win the league.Konate reportedly wants a salary increase that will complement his current squad status, having recently seen Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah get a pay raise.However, Liverpool are reluctant to match his request after making a substantial financial commitment to extend Van Dijk’s and Salah’s contracts.The Reds now risk losing the French defender to Real Madrid for free next summer, with the Spanish side feeling confident of signing him. The move would see him reunite with Trent Alexander-Arnold, who left Liverpool earlier this summer, but Konate must learn from his former team-mate.Alexander-Arnold started two of Los Blancos’ league games, but his place is under serious threat from Dani Carvajal, who has just recovered from his long-term injury.The England international could go from being a regular at Liverpool to a squad player at Madrid before the end of the season, which might affect his chances of representing England at next year’s World Cup.The same fate may befall Konate if he joins the Spanish giants. Eder Militao and Dean Huijsen’s centre-back partnership is getting stronger by the day, and the France international may find it difficult to displace either in the starting line-up.Even if the duo partnership ends up failing, manager Xabi Alonso may have found another defensive partnership by the time Konate decides to join next summer.Konate must weigh his options properly. The allure of Madrid is undeniable, but Alexander-Arnold’s struggles show the grass is not always greener on the other side.
