Liverpool star could be shown the exit door after Micah Richards reveals new 'worry'
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(Credit: Imago)
Callum O'Connell
Sun 28 September 2025 9:33, UK
Liverpool saw their winning run to start the season put to an end on Saturday after suffering their first defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.
Arne Slot‘s side fell to a 2-1 defeat at Selhurst Park, as the hosts’ 1-0 lead courtesy of Ismaila Sarr was cancelled out by Federico Chiesa‘s equaliser late in the game, before Eddie Nketiah fired home the winner after 97 minutes.
The Eagles were good value for their win, as Slot confessed following the full-time scenes, but that has done little to stem the frustration on Merseyside.
One player who was widely criticised following the game was Ibrahima Konate, whose awful performance saw him substituted for Jeremie Frimpong after 74 minutes.
Konate could now face the axe at Liverpool and the Reds have been backed to land a replacement for him after missing out on Marc Guehi during the summer.
Credit: Imago
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider in February that Liverpool are concerned about Konate, and those concerns are now gathering strength.
Despite having built a formidable partnership alongside Virgil van Dijk in last season’s title success, his individual performances have been called into question.
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Speaking on Match of the Day, former Man City defender Micah Richards explained: “Konate is starting to worry me a little bit.
“Him and Van Dijk have been a good partnership, and they’ve done really well together, but his individual errors at this moment in time are making the back line look a little bit nervy.
“They gave Palace too many opportunities for no actual reason, they were just being sloppy and that’s so unlike Liverpool.”
The Frenchman has been blamed for the Reds’ dysfunctional defensive shape so far this season, where they have kept just two clean sheets in nine games.
Now, following Geovanni Leoni’s cruciate ligament injury, Liverpool are expected to enter the transfer market, and Konate could soon find his position up for grabs.
It is not only the defender’s performances on the pitch which have caused concern about his future, but also the growing interest in his signature from Real Madrid.
Konate’s Liverpool contract will expire in 2026 as things stand, and Los Blancos have been heavily linked with making a move to sign him on a free transfer.
Football Insider exclusively revealed on 1 September that Liverpool will hold fresh contract talks with Konate, but little progress has been made so far.
Credit: Imago
Brown told Football Insider on 9 September that Konate is edging closer to joining Real Madrid in a similar deal to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit.
Konate recently added fuel to the fire when he confessed France teammate Kylian Mbappe has urged him to make the switch: “He calls me every two hours!” the defender joked.
[via talkSPORT]
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