Fabrizio Romano: Liverpool centre-back offered long-term contract to fend off foreign suitors | OneFootball

Fabrizio Romano has shared news of a reported contract offer out of Liverpool on Wednesday.

While Richard Hughes has succeeded in tying down Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk for another couple of years, he could soon find himself scrambling to extend a few other deals at Anfield, including that of Ibrahima Konate.

The French centre-back is set to become a free agent in 13 months’ time unless the Reds can secure his services in the meantime; and after an initial contract offer in the winter fell short of his expectations, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are keeping a close watch on the situation as they seek to take advantage (L’Equipe).

Romano reveals Liverpool contract offer for Wellity Lucky

That impasse remains ongoing, but there’s a younger positional alternative who has been offered a new long-term deal by Liverpool.

Taking to X on Wednesday afternoon, Romano posted: “Understand Liverpool have offered new 4-year deal to 19-year-old talented centre-back Wellity Lucky. Current contract ends this summer and Liverpool are trying to keep him while clubs in Spain and Germany are also in negotiations trying to sign him.”

(Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images)

Nothing Lucky about Wellity being offered long-term deal!

Although the Spain under-17 international is yet to feature in a senior matchday squad at Anfield, it’s clear that the club’s hierarchy envisage a bright future for him if they’ve offered him a four-year contract and are desperate not to lose him on a free transfer this summer.

The defender made nine appearances in Premier League 2 this term for Liverpool’s under-21s and was ever-present in the UEFA Youth League campaign (Transfermarkt), and he may be hopeful of travelling with the first-team for their pre-season tour to Asia in July as he seeks to make an impression on Arne Slot.

LFC underage coach Barry Lewtas has said that Lucky and Amara Nallo (who featured in our Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven in January) have formed a ‘rock solid’ centre-back partnership which has stood up to talented attacking units at some of Europe’s biggest clubs (Liverpool Echo).

The 19-year-old might be some bit away from a genuine first-team breakthrough at the moment, but the long-term contract offer suggests that Anfield chiefs see enough in him to secure his future and possibly loan him out next season in order to accrue vital senior exposure.

Hopefully the prodigious Spaniard will put pen to paper soon…and that Konate won’t be long after him.