Liverpool clarifies Ibrahima Konate's contract situation

Liverpool is negotiating a new contract for defender Ibrahima Konate. The player is attracting interest from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Konate has 18 months left on his current deal, which he signed in 2021 after moving from RB Leipzig for £36 million. Recently, Konate received a new contract offer from Liverpool. However, he mentioned that he is focused on this season and not close to an agreement yet. This has led to speculation that other clubs are watching him closely. Reports from Spain suggest that Real Madrid is interested in Konate. They have placed him at the top of their shortlist for defenders. However, Liverpool has clarified that claims about a €60 million (£50.2 million) release clause in his contract are incorrect. Liverpool wants to avoid a situation similar to this season, where key players like Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk entered the last year of their contracts. Currently, there are ongoing talks about new deals with those players as well. Konate is currently with the France national team for their UEFA Nations League matches against Croatia.