Liverpool supporters are up in arms this Friday after news arrived that Ibrahima Konate will leave the club as a free agent.
Konate has not had the best season at Anfield, but there is rightful fury towards Liverpool for allowing a 27-year-old player, one who is amongst the best in Europe in his position, to leave for nothing.
The Frenchman’s exit follows a concerning trend for Liverpool, as they continuously fail to stop valuable players from leaving at the end of their contracts. With two years left on his contract this summer, fans should be growing worried that Dominik Szoboszlai could be next on an illustrious list.
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Szoboszlai could easily follow Konate’s path
Two years ago, when Konate was 25 and had two years left to run on his contract, few supporters would have been overly concerned about his situation.
There was still more than enough time to sort out an extension, and given his age, it had seemed fairly inconceivable that he would leave on a free. Perhaps he would be sold, but surely Liverpool would at least recoup a fee for him. Alas, it did not happen.
Fast forward to 2026, and Szoboszlai is in an identical position to Konate. 25, and with two years left on a contract he signed after joining from RB Leipzig, it would be a surprise to nobody if the Hungarian followed the same route.
There have been reports that Liverpool were in discussions with Konate and his camp for more than two years prior to his exit being confirmed on Friday. In Szoboszlai’s case, the clock is now ticking, and having already seen Trent Alexander-Arnold blaze a trail, Konate’s imminent departure has handed Liverpool fans genuine reason to be concerned that they could lose Szoboszlai too.
READ MORE: Who Ibrahima Konate’s next club is most likely to be as centre-back fails to agree Liverpool stay
Key summer ahead for Szoboszlai contract talks
Whatever happens with Szoboszlai, there is little chance that Konate will be the last Liverpool player to leave for nothing.
Six of the current squad see their deals expire next summer, and there is a distinct possibility that Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker walk away in a year’s time.
Wataru Endo, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott could all do so as well, although all could be sold in the coming window too.
As for Szoboszlai, this summer is going to be crucial in determining the direction of travel.
Has Konate lived up to his potential, or does he leave having not quite reached it?
The curtain comes down on five up and down years as a Red 😓
There have been plenty of reports that discussions are underway, and have been for some time, but the lack of tangible progress should be seen as a real concern.
The No. 8 is even more valuable to Liverpool than Konate, and it is difficult to see how the Reds would allow him to leave on a free aged just 27. If they cannot make progress on contract talks this summer, it feels likely that Szoboszlai will be sold next year.
Alexis Mac Allister is in the same position, but the Argentine is two years older, and has been in poor form this season. Szoboszlai, on the other hand, is a star performer. Liverpool know that they could get some serious money for him with one year left on his contract.
The Reds should already have known that tying him down and avoiding entering the final two years of his deal was a key task this summer. But Konate’s exit has brought that into even sharper focus. This simply cannot be allowed to happen again.
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