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Jamie Carragher said that Liverpool will be "absolutely fine" if Ibrahima Konate ends up leaving the club on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Konate's Anfield deal will expire on June 30, 2026, and he has been linked with a free transfer to the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. The French defender quickly emerged as Arne Slot's first-choice partner for Virgil van Dijk at the start of last season, but Carragher will not be concerned if the defender moves on.
"I’d like him to stay, but if he doesn’t stay, Liverpool will sign someone else. Liverpool won’t fall apart if Konate leaves," Carragher told the Daily Mail.
"He's not Virgil van Dijk. He's a good center-back who you hope will sign, but if he doesn’t want to sign, Liverpool will be absolutely fine.
"He's a very good center-back, he's a title winner at Liverpool, he's played in the Champions League final against Real Madrid. He's obviously a quality center-back.
"It's not poor management [if he goes for free]. You can't physically make somebody sign a contract. Then it's your decision, do you keep him to the length of his contract or do you sell him?"
Carragher was impressed by Konate's display against Real Madrid last week, but wants to see more from the Frenchman before he is convinced that the defender is back to his best form.
"It's still only a couple of games," said Carragher. "He hasn't had a great start to the season, and he needs to show a bit more consistency.
"He was fantastic against Real Madrid, and he needs to keep that going over the next few months, it can't just be two games on the bounce.
"There’s no secrets [to picking up your form].
"It’s about working harder and you become more professional.
"It’s on your mind constantly that you want to get back into good form and every you think tiny detail will make a difference, whether that’s what you eat, what time you go to sleep, it’s just becoming an ultra-professional on and off the pitch."
There could be plenty of movement in Liverpool's defense next year, with Marc Guehi remaining a top target for the Reds following the collapse of his move to Anfield on deadline day.
Virgil van Dijk will also be entering the final year of his contract, while Liverpool has been open to selling Joe Gomez in each of the last two summer windows.
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