Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards are about to try and send a ‘message’ at Liverpool

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With another international break now in progress there is little place to hide for Liverpool.

When the fixtures are coming every three or four days it is easy for the focus to be on the football and the football alone.

But with the action on the pitch now paused, focus has once again naturally turned to Liverpool’s ongoing contract concerns.

As October slowly chugs along the Reds are still seemingly yet to make any positive progress on new deals for Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold or Mohamed Salah.

There’s little question that sporting director Richard Hughes is working hard behind the scenes at Anfield to change the tide, but so far it has been to no avail.

In the meantime, though, Liverpool are reportedly set to extend the contract of Ibrahima Konate. And according to journalists Fabrizio Romano, Hughes is hoping that Konate’s imminent extension will be a sign of things to come.

Richard Hughes hoping to send contract message

Rousing The Kop exclusively revealed news of Konate’s extension last weekend, before Liverpool’s lunchtime win over Crystal Palace.

With the centre-back’s current contract running until 2026, it was important that the Reds got Konate tied down as soon as possible and that now looks like it will happen.

Obviously, it is not the contract news Liverpool supporters were desperate to hear, but it is an important step in the right direction.

And speaking on his YouTube channel on Monday, Romano explained that Hughes – as well as FSG’s CEO of Football Michael Edwards – are keen to ‘send a message’ at Liverpool that contracts will now be dealt with in a different way at Anfield.

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“The conversation has started and Liverpool are really confident to extend Ibrahima Konate’s contact,” says the reporter.

“They see that as a matter of time but also a message internally after what happened with Virgil van Dijk, Trent and Mo Salah out of contract and a dangerous situation for the club.

“Now they have a new director, Richard Hughes, Michael Edwards is also there at the club and they want to change these kinds of things,” adds Romano. “This can’t happen again.

“Important players have to sort their situations as soon as possible and this is going to be the case with Konate and with Jarell Quansah already done and agreed.”

Liverpool set to avoid future problem with Konate

It still remains to be seen whether Liverpool will finally make a breakthrough with any of Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold or Salah.

But if the worst comes to the worst and the Reds lose any or all three of their star men then the least they can do is learn from it.

Some may see Konate’s new contract as less of a priority given what is going on with the higher-profile trio.

But the fact is if Liverpool do lose Van Dijk, then Konate will become Arne Slot’s key centre-back overnight. The Reds simply can’t head into next summer with another big contract issue hanging over them.

Konate has been excellent this season and deserves a bump in pay and a bigger status with the first-team squad. Obviously, the hope will be that this is just the tip of the iceberg, but Hughes is at least finally starting to make some positive movements in his role as sporting director.