Ibrahima Konate could play new Liverpool role as two exits leave Arne Slot with major opening

Liverpool will lose Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson this summer, with Virgil van Dijk needing other players to step up and help out within the Reds' leadership group

Liverpool center-back Ibrahima Konate.(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

There are now just five games left for Liverpool this season, and the countdown towards a new challenge for Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson has officially begun.

Arne Slot's men look set to qualify for the Champions League next season but then another shake-up awaits. Another forward will need to be signed to replace Salah, while Kostas Tsimikas could be the man to take Robertson's spot. Either way, the Liverpool locker room will be two huge names down.

"Players have to step up," Virgil van Dijk told reporters after scoring the winner against Everton. "You grow into that role, or you already have it in you; that is something players have to show even more next season."

"Vice-captain? I don’t want to say, but I definitely have my opinion and I always share my opinion," he added. "But the focus is now on finishing the season in the best way possible after the poor season we are having."

While Salah and Robertson are moving on and will need to be replaced, on a purely footballing basis, it is hard to argue against either making the right decision.

Salah has not been anywhere near his usual level this season, with the emphasis within the Liverpool team having shifted elsewhere, while Robertson has lost his place to Milos Kerkez.

Both Salah and Robertson will get good moves — they are both capable of playing for a Champions League level side next season — but it is probably the right moment to part ways with Liverpool.

Virgil van Dijk scores the winner in the Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)(Image: Getty Images)

Even so, that will leave a big gap in leadership that the Reds will need to carefully consider. It might be that experience is brought in from elsewhere, but it seems more likely that it will need to come from within.

So, who are the options? Dominik Szoboszlai has been tipped for a leadership position this season, and he spoke about wanting to sign a new contract over the weekend.

Curtis Jones, not just because of his local influence, is of a similar age and could be ready to step up, though there is a contract situation even more pressing there — his deal expires in 2027; Szoboszlai's is 2028.

Joe Gomez and Alisson Becker will remain a part of the group, but Ibrahima Konate is another who is about to enter his prime years and should be ready to take the next step.

"My future? To be fair, there are many things people have said, but for a long time we have spoken with the club and we are close to an agreement," Konate confirmed to reporters over the weekend.

"I think everyone wished for that for as long as possible, but we are in a good way. For sure, there is a big chance I’m here next season. This is what I always wanted."

At 26, and having won the Premier League and played in a Champions League final, Konate should be viewed as a prime candidate for a leadership position. This summer, he will be a part of the French national team squad at the World Cup.

"I think I'm a leader already for this team, for the younger players, and for everyone to be fair," Konate added. "We know this is part of the football life. The legends are going to leave one day. After, it's going to be our turn to take the lead."

Whoever it is, Liverpool will need new players to emerge and take on a bigger burden of responsibility next season. Beyond that, there is a need to find a leader like Van Dijk.

Konate, assuming there are no last-minute hitches regarding his new deal, should be right at the front of the queue.