Liverpool have got a NEW Trent Alexander-Arnold | OneFootball

Liverpool lose TAA

Here was the vice-captain, a fan and an academy graduate deciding to quit the club just as they were looking at their strongest in years.

And, worse still, he was leaving for a fraction of his true worth.

The most expensive right-backs of all time include Joao Cancelo and Achraf Hakimi - both moving for between £60m and £70m.

There is little doubt that Trent with his pedigree, his goal involvement record and his age, would have sold for more in an ideal market.

But Liverpool had to grin and bear it; splashing £29.5m on a replacement in Jeremie Frimpong, who will battle it out with Conor Bradley for starting duties.

Konate likes Real Madrid

If the club were hoping that this situation wouldn’t become a trend then they look like they are going to be disappointed.

Reports are growing ever more certain that Ibrahima Konate is acting the same way as Trent. His contract was signed in 2021 when he transferred from RB Leipzig for around £35m.

Reds fans have been waiting a long time to see the best of the 26-year-old Frenchman on a consistent basis and last season it was the first time he really became Virgil van Dijk’s undisputed partner.

With his contract running out in 2026, it now looks like Konate will follow Trent’s lead.

Although we have read reports that Konate was in talks with the club over a renewal, there has been no significant progress.

The player was said to be seeking around £200k per week for a new contract but with Madrid again sniffing around there are no guarantees he will sign it.

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Konate available for free in 2026

Like Trent he will be aware that if his next club have to pay no transfer fee then he will have a better chance of pocketing a bigger signing-on fee.

Liverpool are effectively powerless from preventing this situation from unfolding. If Konate runs down his deal then there is little they can do to prevent it - other than offload him this summer.

But that of course has the knock-on effect of destabilising the Reds’ title-winning backline even further when two full-back changes have already taken place with Frimpong and Milos Kerkez arriving at the club.

© IMAGO - Arne Slot Richard Hughes Liverpool Transfers 2024-25