Liverpool face Lille in their penultimate Champions League group stage fixture with French defender Ibrahima Konate now back in action – although not at 100 percent himself – and mulling over a new contract
Ibrahima Konate revealed he gifted Liverpool’s medical team cookies for their efforts to get him back to full fitness quickly.
But when contract talk was on the menu yesterday, the Reds defender was not so forthcoming on how close he is to signing a new deal. Ahead of tonight’s Champions League clash with Lille, Konate, 25, did confirm that he has been offered a new deal by the club but did not elaborate when asked if he was close to signing.
He is the latest Liverpool star mulling over a contract on offer from the club. The France defender was offered a new deal earlier this season but he has yet to put pen to paper with 18 months left on his current contract. Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk have all been in discussions with the club over new deals but theirs are set to expire in the summer.
Konate said “yeah” when asked if he has been offered a deal but then added “that is another conversation” when questioned if he is close to signing. He earlier said: “I think I am really focussed on what happens now. We will see what will happen.”
Konate returned to full fitness earlier this month to face Manchester United after overcoming a knee injury quicker than expected. The France centre admitted he is playing through the pain to ensure he helps his team-mates after Joe Gomez picked up a hamstring injury at the end of December leaving the Reds short of centre-backs.
And there was a special present from Konate to the club’s medical team for helping him return faster after he picked up the injury in November’s 2-0 win over Real Madrid.
He said: “The plan was for me to train on this week [before United game] but when I saw Joe with this injury, I thought: ‘OK I have to come back really quick’ and don’t really think about my knee.
“The first game, for sure I felt it a little bit but the pain got better day after day, it’s fine, it’s enough for me to play. The physios and medical staff have done a very good job for me. Every day I spent, I don’t know how long I spent at the club every day when I was injured and I was very happy and I thanked them with some cookies.
“This season, they have done a very good job with me. They never take a risk with me, it was very me who was ready. I play with a bit of pain but it is enough to play.”
Konate and Virgil van Dijk kept their seventh clean sheet as a pairing in the Premier League this season when the Reds beat Brentford on Saturday to go six points clear at the top of the table. They’ve also kept five clean sheets in a row in Europe and a point tonight against the in-form Ligue 1 side will ensure the Reds coast into the last-16 stage of the Champions League.
When asked if his partnership with Van Dijk is the best in Europe, Konate added: “This season, yeah, I think so.
“Everyone knows Virgil and everyone knows his quality, for me he is the best, no-one is better than him in this position.
“I never said it to him but in interviews I’ve always said I just want to be better than him one day and that is why I work hard to reach this level one day. He would be proud I think.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Learn more
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.