Ibrahima Konaté previews next season with Liverpool: ‘We’re the champions and everyone will want to beat us.’ | OneFootball

Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konaté (26) has given the strongest hint yet of his intention to keep playing for Arne Slot’s Reds next season, which means entering his final contract year. Speaking to The Athletic, the France international – who is set to feature alongside Clément Lenglet tonight with Les Bleus against Spain in the UEFA Nations League semi-final –  said he was determined to keep winning trophies again on Merseyside. “The most important thing is not to rest on our laurels”, said Konaté, the first Premier League winner with Liverpool from France. “We won the Premier League, which is magnificent and which made everyone happy, but it’s not an end in itself. I want to win it again next year. Or win the Champions League.”

Konaté expects next season to be tougher as Liverpool’s rivals will try to set the record straight after a middling season. Arsenal’s title charge derailed late on, whereas Manchester City were the shadow of the team that won four league titles in a row. The France centre-back feels Liverpool need to set their 20th league title aside in their quest to win what would be a record-setting 21st champions’ crown. “We’ll need to (…) say to ourselves, ‘That’s behind us. Now, do we have the desire and the physical and mental strength to do what we did last season again?’ “It will be harder, because we’re the champions and everyone will want to beat us.”

GFFN | Bastien Cheval