Are Liverpool going to let FANTASTIC centre-back slip through their fingers?

Liverpool are a serious team on the pitch, delivering countless statement results in their hunt for trophies under Arne Slot.

The club sits top of the Premier League, it progressed as 'league phase' winners to the last 16 of the Champions League and a second successive EFL Cup final awaits in March against Newcastle at Wembley.

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But when it comes to off-the-pitch matters, it appears as though Liverpool are relatively clueless.

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The contracts of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have all been allowed to run down into their final year and, with four months before their deals expire, the club is yet to extended any of their contracts. The situation could not be more uncertain.

Fans and rival clubs are clocking on to it too. Ibrahima Konate is another player set to be in a contract saga as his deal runs out in 2026 and, despite the Frenchman proving that he is one of the best defensive talents in the world, he too is set to be vulnerable this summer.

PSG want Konate and Liverpool risk losing him

As was exclusively revealed by Anfield Watch last month, PSG are interested in Konate, and in order to sweeten the deal they are open to making him their captain - a trick that Liverpool don't have up their sleeve while Van Dijk remains at the club.

As a born and bred Parisian, it makes sense that Konate might consider making the move. He played for Paris FC before he made the move to RB Leipzig and, as the biggest team in France, the allure of playing for his country's premier team is clear.

In addition, it has been made clear to him by Liverpool - despite the Salah, Van Dijk and Trent situation - that the club is happy to let his contract run into its final year. It hardly comes across that Konate is a priority, does it?

As a result, the news coming out of ESPN that Konate is 'tempted by a return to the city of his birth' is pretty unsurprising, but it should also act as a wake-up call for those in the Liverpool recruitment think-tank.

If you continue to mismanage your players, then their loyalty to you will only go so far.

For example, Salah has been with Liverpool for eight seasons now and, even though he is 32-years-old, he is delivering the season of his life for Liverpool this time around - with 27 goals and 19 assists by February.

The entire notion that Liverpool might lose an asset that has 46 goal contributions this campaign is laughable and makes you wonder what on earth is happening within the club - although his contract negotiations are likely to be complex.

Salah wants to stay on Merseyside, his commitment to the club has been unwavering, yet there is still a debate around whether Liverpool want to re-sign him while he is performing at the peak of his powers.

And the situation is exactly the same with Konate. Beside Van Dijk, the Frenchman is clearly Liverpool's best defender and, at just 25 years old, it makes no sense for him to not be tied down for the long-term, yet the club is hesitant and Konate may well feel like he isn't wanted.

When the summer rolls around and PSG make their intentions clear to Konate, offering him a route to progressing his career for the better, Liverpool might find themselves in a losing battle despite originally having the upper hand in negotiations with the Frenchman.

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Van Dijk's made his thoughts on Konate very clear following Liverpool's win over Wolves in September.

"He is a fantastic player who still can be better," he told BBC Radio Merseyside. "Obviously the qualities he has are outstanding in my opinion."

Why put yourself in a position where a player of that calibre could move elsewhere?

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Liverpool’s game against Wolves will kick-off at 14:00 GMT on Sunday 16th February.

The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Main Event and Ultra HD.

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