Liverpool’s season has taken another difficult turn. The Reds lost to Chelsea last weekend which was their third consecutive loss of the season.
To make matters worse, Ibrahima Konate got injured. And, now, Arne Slot will be hoping that the Frenchman regains his fitness during the international break.
However, the latest news off the pitch might concern Arne Slot even more.
According to Sport, the Reds tried to sign Barcelona defender during the summer transfer window. The move was ambitious, but the player had no interest in leaving Camp Nou.
Liverpool’s interest makes sense. Ibrahima Konate’s future at Anfield is far from secure.
The Frenchman’s contract runs out at the end of the season, and injuries continue to interrupt his rhythm.
Konate limped off in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea with a quadriceps issue. But fears remain that fans may be watching his final months in a Liverpool shirt.
Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi was another target in the summer. However, they failed to sign him on deadline day, leaving the Reds short of reliable options behind Virgil van Dijk.
Now, Konate’s latest injury makes the problem worse. Giovanni Leoni is already out for the rest of the season, leaving only Van Dijk and Joe Gomez as senior centre-backs.
Gomez last played regularly in central defence back in the title-winning 2019-20 campaign. In recent years, he has been used mostly as a full-back. Slot must now rely on him once again.
If another defender suffers an injury, Liverpool might have to use midfielder Wataru Endo alongside Van Dijk which can be a risky solution for a team looking to retain the Premier League title.
Missing out on Araujo hurts but replacing Konate with a ball-playing centre-back like Guehi might be the step Slot needs to fix this team.
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