“He’s all over the place!” – Liverpool legend slams £35m star | OneFootball

Liverpool Concerns Grow Over Konate’s Form

Liverpool may have started the new Premier League campaign with six points on the board, but the sense around Anfield is far from assured. Performances have been patchy, cohesion uncertain, and individual displays uneven. For a team that only months ago celebrated a title triumph, the early weeks of Arne Slot’s tenure have brought as many questions as answers.

Early Struggles for Konate

Among those under scrutiny is Ibrahima Konate. Once heralded as a future cornerstone of Liverpool’s defence, the Frenchman has endured a torrid opening to the season. His positioning has looked hesitant, his judgement rash, and the commanding presence that earned him ‘world-class’ praise last term has been conspicuously absent.

Former Reds defender Mark Lawrenson offered a blunt assessment: “The French boy is all over the place; he’s making all sorts of mistakes,” he told talkSPORT. “And don’t forget they’ve got different players playing at the back at the moment, which they normally wouldn’t. Yeah, I mean it’s not particularly good [Liverpool’s defence at the moment] but it’ll get better.”

Lawrenson’s words reflect the unease among fans who fear Konate’s drop in form could expose Liverpool in matches against top-tier rivals. Arsenal’s visit to Anfield this weekend will provide the sternest test yet.

Transfer Talk Around Guehi

Speculation over reinforcements has inevitably intensified. Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi remains on Liverpool’s radar, though the Eagles are standing firm on their £40 million valuation. Slot may have already added Giovanni Leoni from Parma, but the persistent links to Guehi suggest the club are weighing up further defensive depth.

Lawrenson again addressed the possibility: “We all thought about a week ago that [Guehi’s transfer] was happening. But I think Palace are saying that he’s got to stay, hasn’t he, so I don’t know [but] listen, money changes it.”

Defining Weeks Ahead

Liverpool’s immediate concern, however, is not the transfer market but stabilising performances on the pitch. Slot’s team cannot afford to rely solely on attacking brilliance if their defensive foundations remain fragile. For Konate, the next few weeks may prove decisive: restore his authority and reaffirm his status, or risk seeing his place contested by a new arrival.

Liverpool supporters have witnessed great defenders rise from shaky beginnings before. Whether Konate can repeat that story will go a long way in shaping this season’s narrative.