After a summer in which Liverpool’s transfer market activity has done much to reshape perceptions about the club’s status and ambitions, the handling of Ibrahima Konaté’s contract situation promises to reveal how deeply the shift of mindset at Anfield runs.
In twice breaking the British transfer record, first to secure the services of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal that could be worth up to £116m, then by recruiting Alexander Isak from Newcastle at a cost of £125m, Liverpool have clearly signalled an intention to sustain the momentum established by last season’s Premier League triumph.
Factor in the addition of Hugo Ekitike, a £79m arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt, and the club has eclipsed its previous high-water mark for transfers, the £75m paid for Virgil van Dijk in January 2018, three times in the space of a few weeks.
Willingness to build from a position of strength has long been the hallmark of champions, and those signings, part of a £415m outlay that also included deals for Netherlands international Jeremie Frimpong, Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and the Italian centre-back Giovanni Leoni, seem indicative of Fenway Sports Group’s determination to establish a new era of dominance at Anfield.
As the most successful club in the history of English football in terms of silverware won, Liverpool have long been among the giants of the European game. But the ambition they have shown this summer has taken them to a new level. No club will relish the prospect of facing Arne Slot’s side, particularly if the Dutchman can strike a balance between attacking flair and defensive solidity.
‘Kylian Mbappé calls me every two hours’
The latter remains a work in progress, although a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Arsenal on the eve of the international break was a promising start. A vastly improved performance from Konaté, who started the season in unconvincing fashion as Liverpool were pegged back from two goals up against Bournemouth and Newcastle before recovering to win, was central to that result.
But the France international, whose contract is set to expire next summer, has repeatedly declined the opportunity to commit his future to the club, and there is a growing sense of resignation at Anfield that the 26-year-old is intent on following Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, whose interest in his services has been the subject of persistent speculation.
Things have reached the point where Konaté has openly joked about the situation. “He calls me every two hours,” the Frenchman quipped at the weekend when asked if France team-mate Kylian Mbappé had tried to tempt him to the Bernabéu. Liverpool are expected to persist in their efforts to keep Konaté, but there is a growing sense his mind is made up.
Playing the long game
At the same time, reports suggest the club is content to wait until next summer to sign Marc Guéhi following the deadline-day collapse of a £35m move for the Crystal Palace defender, who is said to remain set on a move to Anfield.
It is vital that Liverpool stick to their guns on both fronts. They have made it plain they will not beg any player to spend at Anfield, and have indicated they are content to play the long game with Guéhi notwithstanding purported interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Munich.
Maintaining that stance would show Europe’s big guns that Liverpool will be neither bullied nor cowed in the transfer market. After a big-spending summer, it would offer confirmation of the club’s confidence that they are capable of attracting the best in the world, and of their faith that any player who wants to leave will be replaced by another of the same calibre, regardless of any competition they may face.
Liverpool have spent like one of the world’s biggest clubs; now they must hold their nerve like one of the world’s biggest clubs.
