Expert: Ibrahima Konate may leave Liverpool 'in January' after Marc Guehi latest
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Credit: Imago
Callum O'Connell
Thu 4 September 2025 14:47, UK
Liverpool will be willing to listen to offers for Ibrahima Konate in the January transfer window if they cannot agree terms over a new contract.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Arne Slot still feels the club can upgrade on the 26-year-old.
This comes after the Reds failed to complete a deal to sign Marc Guehi on transfer deadline day, changing their stance towards the France international.
Football Insider revealed on 1 September that Liverpool are planning fresh contract talks with Konate as they aim to switch their focus after the deadline.
Having missed out on strengthening their defence with Guehi, there is an added importance on keeping their current first-choice at Anfield for the future.
However, should they return for the Crystal Palace star in January, it could open the door for the centre-back to make a permanent move rather than waiting until the summer.
Credit: Imago
This article contains exclusive comment from Mick Brown, a football transfer expert and former chief scout for Man United and Sunderland among others.
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Despite having missed out on deadline day, Football Insider revealed Liverpool will reignite their interest in Guehi in the January transfer window.
As a result, Brown, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, has insisted Konate could be sold to make room for the Crystal Palace captain.
“Liverpool will be making efforts to keep Konate,” he told Football Insider.
“They haven’t got great cover at centre-back, there’s Joe Gomez who can do a job and they’ve brought in the young lad Giovanni Leoni from Italy.
“The issue they have with Konate is that he always seems to have a mistake in him.
“That’s why they wanted Marc Guehi, he’s a very good option and he brings stability.
“It takes the concern away from the back line they’ve got at the moment, and that’s why they’ve been looking to improve at centre-back.
“Having missed out on Guehi, they don’t have the depth to get rid of Konate now.
“So they’ll be making efforts for him to sign a new contract.
“If he doesn’t, then they’ll have a decision to make and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him leave in January rather than on a free at the end of the year.
“Especially if they go back in for Guehi, because he’d be an immediate replacement.
“So it all depends on how these talks go over his new contract.”
In what was a busy transfer window for Liverpool, Harvey Elliott’s deadline day move to Aston Villa on a loan-to-buy deal has raised new questions.
Brown told Football Insider on 2 September that Liverpool accepeted an offer below their asking price to finalise his move to Villa Park before the deadline.
Credit: Hasan Karim – Breaking Media
Slot’s side had been holding out for a £50million fee throughout the summer transfer window, but ultimately accepted a loan with an obligation to buy for £35million.
After it became clear that he wasn’t in Slot’s plans for the season, the Reds decided to cash in for a slightly reduced fee rather than keep an unhappy player.
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