Liverpool might now be in big trouble after what Arsenal have just announced - opinion

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Liverpool and Arsenal are proving to be a bit of a rivalry both on and off the pitch. The Reds are sitting top of the Premier League table just two points above Arsenal, with the Gunners closing this gap after the weekend.They capitalised on Liverpool losing by beating Newcastle in the final minutes of their game against Newcastle, with this feeling like a huge result despite it only being September.As well as this, Arsenal have just made an announcement that will benefit them massively going forward as well, with this likely enabling them to continue to challenge for the title for many years to come.However, it spells bad news for the Reds and fans, with it having huge knock-on effects for the future of one player in particular.Photo by Carl Recine/Getty ImagesWilliam Saliba signing new contract means only one thing for Ibrahima KonateOne of Arsenal’s biggest strengths is their defence, with theirs being one of the best in the league and perhaps even Europe.A key component of this is William Saliba, with the Frenchman making an instant impact as soon as he was given a chance.He has firmly established himself as one of the best, hence why the likes of Real Madrid were keen on signing him, but Arsenal have just confirmed that he has signed a new long-term contract at the club.Not only does this have effects on Liverpool due to Arsenal being much stronger with him, but it means Madrid will likely end their interest in him, for now at least, and solely focus on signing Ibrahima Konate.READ MORE: Jamie Carragher claims £35m Liverpool player is making Florian Wirtz worse right nowKonate is still yet to sign a new contract and can negotiate a pre-contract with clubs abroad as early as January, showing just how little time the Reds have left to try and tie him down.Although he was already first choice, now that their targets are reduced, Madrid will likely accelerate talks with the defender when they can, with it looking inevitable he will leave on a free.This means Liverpool will have lost players for nothing to Madrid two summers in a row, something that is far from ideal given just how important they both have been to the team.Liverpool must sign a centre-back in JanuaryWith the Spanish giants likely to be in contact with Konate in just four months time, his head might be elsewhere mid-season, although his performances may suggest that it already is.As well as it being hard to rely on him at the moment, Giovanni Leoni’s ACL injury makes signing a defender more important than ever, with there currently only three options to choose from.Marc Guehi would be the obvious choice, so rather than waiting to sign him in the summer, paying a little bit of money earlier might be sensible so they have a safety net to fall back on if needed.Dayot Upamecano is another option and a player who is out of contract in the summer, although Madrid are also interested in him and could get him alongside Konate.