Liverpool travel to France to face Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday night.
Arne Slot’s side have endured a difficult season so far and suffered a shock 4-0 defeat against rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup on Saturday, ending their hopes of winning a domestic trophy this term.
The Reds’ only chance of silverware is now the Champions League, but they will have to navigate a tie with holders PSG if they are to win the competition for the first time since 2019.
Ahead of their trip to Paris, it appears that Liverpool are close to agreeing a huge new deal with one of their most important players.
According to TEAMtalk, the Merseyside outfit are closing in on an agreement for a new long-term contract for central defender Ibrahima Konate.
France international Konate is set to be out of contract at the end of the current campaign and has been heavily linked with a move away from Anfield, with Real Madrid previously suggested as a possible destination.
Konate is in the final months of his current contract (Photo: Action Plus Sports Images/Alamy)
Konate, 26, joined Liverpool from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in 2021 and has since made more than 170 appearances in all competitions, establishing himself as a key player for the Reds.
The centre-back hasn’t been at his best this term, amid uncertainty surrounding his future, but it appears that a broad agreement has been reached on a new long-term contract that will see the Frenchman stay put on Merseyside.
Liverpool were said to have set Easter as a deadline to have finalised the player’s future, and the report suggests that an agreement has now been reached with significant progress having been made during discussions over the past fortnight.