14 hours ago
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Ahead of Liverpool's Champions League clash with Real Madrid, Ibrahima Konate has issued a rallying call to the Reds' supporters.
The defender played a key role in Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday. Following four consecutive Premier League losses, Liverpool bounced back with a win against Villa at Anfield.
Now, Arne Slot's team is shifting its focus to its upcoming European fixture against Madrid before the international break. Konate, who continues to be linked with a transfer to Madrid next summer, is keen to secure his place in the starting line-up for Tuesday's match against Los Blancos at Anfield.
This game could see former Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold playing against his childhood club for the first time since his summer move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
After Liverpool's successful Saturday match against Villa, Konate took to social media the next day to address the fans.
"Back to winning ways under the lights. Now we focus on Tuesday," he posted on Instagram to his 3.1 million followers.
The post has since garnered more than 60,000 likes from fans and fellow footballers alike, including Jeremie Frimpong, Curtis Jones, Florian Wirtz, Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister, Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, as well as former Reds Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz.
Despite Konate's rallying cry, there remains uncertainty surrounding his future at Anfield. The 26-year-old's contract with Liverpool expires at the end of the season, and it's still unclear whether new terms will be agreed upon.
Madrid has surfaced as a potential contender for Konate, should the defender decide against signing a new contract with Liverpool.
From January, the center-back will be at liberty to discuss terms with clubs outside England, including Madrid, for a pre-contract agreement for next summer.
This wouldn't be the first instance of a Liverpool player attracting interest from Madrid in the final six months of their contract.
A similar scenario unfolded for Alexander-Arnold, who was widely expected to join Madrid on a free transfer before an agreement was reached for the defender to relocate to Spain in early June to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Alexander-Arnold commented: "When the draw was announced, everyone knew it was going to happen, it was destined for that fixture to come. It will be a very difficult game, the reception and atmosphere will contribute to that.
"Although they (Liverpool) haven't had the results of late, they're still a top footballing team, and nobody here thinks it's going to be an easy game."
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