‘I’d drive him there’ – Liverpool star told to leave the club amid contract battle and transfer rumours

Ibrahima Konate has been told to leave Liverpool and join Real Madrid.

Reds fan, and former boxer Paul Smith, even offered to drive him there on the latest episode of talkSPORT’s Inside Liverpool YouTube show.

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Konate will be a free agent in the summer and is believed to have been a long-term target of Madrid.

The Spanish giants have a recent history of targeting top players from around Europe with expiring contracts.

Trent Alexander-Arnold moved there in the summer, with Madrid paying £8.4m to accelerate his arrival in order for him to play at the Club World Cup.

However, Madrid’s interest in the 26-year-old has cooled and it is understood they are unlikely to try and sign him.

Konate recently confirmed that talks were ongoing over a new contract, but no conclusion is close.

“I’ve seen a lot of things in the press recently, like Liverpool have made me a new offer,” he said.

“I don’t know where that’s coming from. My agents are continuing discussions with Liverpool. I hope my decision will be made very soon so I can announce it.”

Konate criticism

His performances in a Liverpool shirt this season have come under fire.

Reds fan Smith has had enough and told Inside Liverpool: “I would drive him myself to wherever he wants to go.

“I’ll drive him all the way there, I’ll give him a piggyback there. He’s been awful this season.

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“When a player is haggling for a new contract and they’re playing the way he’s playing, you’ve lost all your pulling power, you’ve lost all your bargaining chips, you can’t really be in a position to negotiate the contract when you’re playing awful this season. 

“If that is affecting you and you’ve got Madrid in your sights then do us a favour and go, we’ll get someone else in who wants to actually be there who actually wants to play.

“Someone who isn’t just interested in the new contract for themselves so they can use another team like Madrid as bargaining power for us.

“He’s not playing the best where he’s been. He’s dodgy, he’s shaky at the back, he’s not looking what he was a year before.”

He added: “I can’t see why the talk is of this new contract the way he is at the moment.”

Konate misses Champions League clash

The defender withdrew from Liverpool’s squad for the 3-0 victory over Marseille on Wednesday night at the last minute.

Speaking before the match, manager Arne Slot confirmed it was due to a personal issue.

“First of all for the family matter, why he is not here,” Slot said. “It is very sad for him.”

Konate’s Liverpool record

Konate was signed from RB Leipzig for around £36m in 2021 and has won four trophies during his time at Anfield.

The French international played 31 times in their Premier League title winning season in 2024/25.

Overall, he has 162 appearances for Liverpool and scored six times.