Liverpool and FSG are said to be considering selling a player who has been labelled as “shocking” recently, with a summer departure not out of the question.
Slot discusses Chiesa’s Liverpool future
The Reds beat Bournemouth 4-2 in dramatic fashion on Friday evening, starting their Premier League title with a win, thanks hugely to a late Federico Chiesa strike in front of the Kop.
The Italian’s future has been a key talking point this summer, but it now looks as though he could be staying, with Arne Slot discussing his player after the Bournemouth game.
“As long as he is here he is definitely at Liverpool and I have no reason to believe something is going to change. He’s had a hard time last season, getting his match fitness ready. Unfortunately for him, he missed out on our Asia tour as well, so then you miss quite a lot, but not only him – Joe Gomez the same and we’ve lost Conor Bradley.
“So, all my substitutions were also related to players who probably couldn’t go for 90 minutes. Federico, when we needed him, I brought him in. At 2-2 you need your No.9, we brought him in and he delivered and that’s always positive for your future at the club.”
Now, an important update has emerged regarding another Liverpool player’s future, ahead of a potential exit before the end of the summer transfer window on September 1st.
Liverpool and FSG could sell “shocking” Konate
According to DaveOCKOP, Liverpool and FSG “could be willing to entertain offers” of £35m for Ibrahima Konate this summer, should he fail to agree to their contract extension terms.
All parties have reached a “nervous crossroads” in discussions, with Konate wanting a significant increase on his £70,000-a-week wages, earning around £200,000 per week instead. The report even adds that the Frenchman has been ‘disappointed by Liverpool’s initial contract offers’.
Konate was far from his best against Bournemouth on Friday, even being described as “shocking” by Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher for his involvement in Antoine Semenyo’s second goal of the night.
Despite this, the Frenchman remains an invaluable player for the Reds – one who deserves to be rewarded with increased wages after becoming such a strong centre-back partner for Virgil van Dijk.
Granted, Konate can have off nights, and his injury problems have been an issue in the past, but he is 26 years of age and could now be coming into his peak years, so Liverpool losing him in the coming weeks would be a big blow, with a contract extension the preferred outcome.