The standard was set from the word “under Arne Slot.” The title-winning Dutchman gave the memories of young Jarrel Cuanza on the break in August with his opening day victory at Ipswichtown, Liverpool.
The 22-year-old, a rising star under Jurgen Klopp, has been turned over by many, including BBC Pundit Nedum Onuoha, to succeed his teammate Virgil Van Dijk, who appeared in 34 competitions in all competitions in 2023/24.
Under the new administration, the England Under-21 star appeared to have not recovered at Portman Road that afternoon, starting only three more times in the last Premier League.
Bystanders on the perimeter below the slot, the academy alumni were shown a surprising door this summer despite the Reds being able to pay a handsome £35 million fee following a fascinating switch to Bayer Leverkusen.
It remains to be seen whether that would prove the correct course of action in the long run, but in the short term, Merseysiders have left the centre-back depth significantly shorter.
Latest news on the future of Ibrahima Conate
The final senior signature in Liverpool’s defence center enjoys an impressive four-year stint at Anfield as the slot man took the title in 2024/25.
A nearly guaranteed starter alongside Van Dick’s recent one – especially last season’s injuries hinder Joe Gomez – the Frenchman should be pleased with his current position at Anfield, right?
Well, recent speculations do not seem to be the case, and there are no previous claims suggesting that the 26-year-old is currently demanding a substantial increase in his current salary of £70,000 per £70,000.
Liverpool’s top winner – 2025/26 | |
|---|---|
player | Weekly wages |
MO is wrong | £400,000 |
Virgil Van Dijk | £350k |
Florian Wirtz | £195k |
Andrew Robertson | £160,000 |
Federico Chiesa | £150k |
Allison | £150k |
Alexis Mac Allister | £150k |
Ryan Gravenberch | £150k |
Darwin Nunes | £140,000 |
Numbers by Capologies | |
That uncertainty is rising as former RB Leipzig man has only remained in the existing deal for 12 months, and the latest report from Spain shows he can run through that contract in the hopes of joining Trent Alexander Arnold in Real Madrid.
In its prospects for a free transfer exit, further Spanish reports argue that if he continues to reject new deals, Liverpool could even be open to selling conate this summer.
Such a prospect only increased the need for replacement…
Search for Liverpool centre backs
The main character who steals Conate alongside Van Dik appears to be Crystal Palace’s Mark Guech, but earlier reports suggest that even personal terms have been agreed with the Eagles skipper.
Guehi, who had only been left in his own deal at Selhurst Park, is at a crossroads in his career, despite not yet seeing whether the palace will cash out, rejecting multiple bids from Newcastle United last summer.
24-year-old journalist David Lynch also named Giovanni Leoni of Palma and Constantinos Courierakis of Wolfsberg, amid a need to consider alternatives for the 24-year-old.
The link to Leoni, compared to Madrid’s Dean Huysen, has already appeared this summer, but in the case of the 21-year-old Courierakis, he was tilted to move to Merseyside earlier this year.
In fact, a report from February showed that Greek sense could command a fee of around 40 million euros (£34 million) just by joining the German side last summer.
Why Konstantinos koulierakis could be Liverpool’s new conate
The brightest, best and best of Bundesliga has been the theme of Liverpool’s adoption this time, whether Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai and Konate under the Klopp administration.
In Konate’s case, the contract rebels were only 22 years old when the Reds fork similar fees to those advertised by Courierakis.
It’s fair to say that with 132 appearances at Anfield, such deals have proven to be successful. Journalist Rory Smith described him as “outstanding” last year, saying his talent is probably under the radar.
Unfortunately, the exit may be in the store for the Rebrus star in the near future, but at Courierakis the former Paok man has been praised by analyst Ben Matinson as a truly “outstanding” prospect.
Also welcomed by scout Jacek Kulig as one of Greece’s “big talents” and Crete-born Titan enjoyed a promising campaign on 2024/25, where he made 30 Bundesliga appearances during his debut season in Germany.
The left footer usually works on the opposite side of the conate, but there are similarities seen in its defense. In fact, according to Sofa Scole, the youngster averaged 2.4 tackles and intercepts per game in the previous period, but his Liverpool counterpart averaged 1.8 in that respect.
At 6 feet 2, Koulierakis is also a towering figure like a 6 feet 4 parisien, with the pair winning 59% and 66% of the total duel in 2024/25, further explaining their advantage in winning the ball.
In contrast to figures like Guehi, who has played in the 132 Premier League so far, Wolfsburg Man is a relatively raw talent, but recently we’ve seen Konate’s success in developing Konate, so why not try again and again this summer?
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