Liverpool
Konaté and Liverpool: Contract Talks Collapse as Exit Looms
Konaté contract talks at Liverpool have broken down and he is set to leave this summer, reports say.
Negotiations over a new contract for Ibrahima Konaté have ended without agreement, with multiple reports indicating the centre back is set to leave Liverpool this summer. TalkSPORT first reported that Konaté would depart, and Sky Sports News later said the club and player “could not find common ground” after lengthy talks.
As recently as April, Konaté told assembled reporters there was a “big chance” he would remain at Liverpool. “This is what I’ve always wanted,” he added at the time. In the weeks after that declaration there was no official confirmation from the club, and discussions were described as being at a “stalemate.”
Konaté arrived at Liverpool in 2021 as a 22-year-old, having built a strong record at RB Leipzig while still yet to make his senior international debut. The contract he signed on arrival reflected that stage of his career and is thought to be in the region of $201,000 (£150,000) per week.
Reports earlier this season said Konaté sought a new salary “in line” with the club’s top earners. There were no suggestions he expected sums comparable to Virgil van Dijk or Mohamed Salah, two of the highest paid players globally. Konaté has previously insisted: “I didn’t even ask for something from the club,” adding that the club “made me an offer, and I replied to them with something, that is it.” That reply has been characterised publicly as a counter-offer, and it appears Liverpool were unwilling to accept those terms.
The drawn-out negotiations were affected by Liverpool’s underwhelming campaign. Champions League qualification and the financial certainty it brings was not secured until the final game of the season, limiting the club’s ability to commit to offers while revenue remained unclear.
In contrast to Liverpool’s uncertainty, rival clubs have registered increasing interest. L’Équipe report several sides have shown “concrete” interest in signing Konaté should he become a free agent this summer.
Liverpool
Liverpool Part Ways with Slot After Two Seasons of Title and Tumult
After two seasons at Liverpool, Slot departs with a title but growing defeats, cup exits and unrest.
Liverpool confirmed on Saturday that Arne Slot will leave after two seasons in charge. In a brief statement the former Feyenoord manager repeated his gratitude for the opportunity and highlighted the high point of his tenure.
“It’s been an amazing ride together with Liverpool,” Slot said, via Fabrizio Romano . “I am so grateful that we were able to win the league last season.” He referenced Liverpool’s record-tying 20th league title from 2024–25, the undisputed highlight of his time at Anfield.
That title came with strong domestic league numbers: the Reds finished the 2024–25 campaign on 84 points, 10 more than runners-up Arsenal, and suffered only four league defeats. Cup and European results were less consistent across his spell.
In Slot’s first season Liverpool exited the Champions League in the round of 16 to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain, lost the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle United and were eliminated from the FA Cup in the fourth round by Championship side Plymouth Argyle.
The club’s second season saw results deteriorate. Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League, and bowed out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals to Paris Saint-Germain by a 4–0 aggregate scoreline. They also exited the FA Cup in the quarterfinals after a 4–0 defeat to Manchester City and were beaten 3–0 by Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup fourth round.
Despite the run of results, the club appeared prepared to continue its backing of Slot through the season, holding firm rather than dismissing him mid-season and placing faith in Jürgen Klopp’s successor to correct course.
The situation changed after Mohamed Salah posted a sharply worded critique of Slot, the team’s playing style and the club’s condition on social media. When players including Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Hugo Ekitiké, Andy Robertson and Jeremie Frimpong liked the post, the response became a visible, public mutiny on Merseyside.
Liverpool
Why Liverpool Relieved Arne Slot: Four Failings That Tilted the Balance
Slot’s Liverpool were dismissed after 20 defeats, heavy losses and visible player decline this year.
One week after the season ended, Liverpool’s hierarchy reached the conclusion many reporters had begun to expect. Despite initial suggestions the club might retain faith in Slot, decision-makers agreed the situation was untenable and the Dutchman was dismissed. In the end, the Dutchman can have few complaints about his dismissal.
The first and most obvious factor was results. For only the second time in the Premier League era and first since the competition’s inaugural campaign, Liverpool suffered 20 defeats across all competitions. A quarter of the season’s defeats came by three or more goals, with particularly damaging losses at Nottingham Forest, PSV Eindhoven and Crystal Palace. Seven defeats arrived without Liverpool even scoring, nine involved the Reds conceding three or more times and five were losses suffered in stoppage time.
Second, the manner of many defeats exposed a tactical and identity problem. What made Liverpool such a devastating side under Jürgen Klopp was their gegenpressing philosophy. Intensity was always king. However, the Reds have lost that offense-first mentality under Slot, the measured approach taken in his first campaign becoming increasingly pedestrian with each passing week. Liverpool became straightforward to play against; a misfiring defence was left exposed by a soft centre and an apathetic forward line out of possession. A lack of pressure and intensity allowed opponents at all levels to slice through the team.
The third issue was development and regression. Slot’s reinvention of Ryan Gravenberch in his debut season proved key to Liverpool winning the Premier League title and offered reassurance of his ability to develop individuals. However, that transformation has proven an outlier. Dominik Szoboszlai is the only Liverpool player who notably improved upon last term’s performances in 2025–26, when Slot was not attempting to shoehorn him in at right back, of course. In contrast, Alexis Mac Allister, Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konaté and Cody Gakpo recorded sizeable drop-offs.
Finally, the new signings largely failed to make the desired impact. Hugo Ekitiké was the only clear success from the summer additions; Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong and, for the most part, Milos Kerkez did not flourish under Slot. The combination of poor results, a lost playing identity and visible player regressions made the task of winning back supporters impossible. Even the most ardent Slot sympathisers had run out of excuses by season’s end.
Arsenal
Five transfer sagas set to dominate the summer window
Five transfer sagas to follow this summer: Diomande, Fernández, Álvarez, Anderson, Wharton. Details.
Summer will bring the familiar long negotiations and headline-grabbing speculation as clubs pursue a handful of marquee targets. Here are five stories most likely to shape the window.
Yan Diomande’s rise has been swift. Up until November 2024 he was in a youth academy in Florida, then moved from the United States to Leganés before an eye-catching switch to RB Leipzig last summer. The 19-year-old has recorded 13 goals and nine assists in an astonishing debut season with Leipzig and is now attracting Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain. Reports value him around €100 million (£87m, $116m). Diomande will represent Côte d’Ivoire at the World Cup, a factor likely to complicate and prolong any transfer.
Enzo Fernández publicly cast doubt over his future during the March international break after flirting with Real Madrid. Speculation over his Chelsea exit has intensified with Manchester City joining the race and Enzo Maresca seen as the likely successor to Pep Guardiola. There is a sense that Chelsea’s final day defeat to Sunderland was Fernández’s last outing for the club, and he looks increasingly unlikely to spearhead Xabi Alonso’s revolution at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are reportedly demanding around £120 million ($161 million), and the player’s participation at the World Cup for Argentina will delay any resolution.
Julián Álvarez remains a central talking point. Having stayed at Atlético Madrid for the 2025/26 campaign, the 26-year-old appears destined to leave Spain’s capital before next season. Barcelona are favourites and are preparing to launch a first official bid of roughly €100 million (£87m, $116m), though Atlético may seek more. Arsenal are also interested despite already possessing Viktor Gyökeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
Elliot Anderson’s stock has risen sharply after a breakthrough season with Nottingham Forest and an England call-up for the World Cup. Interest from Manchester City and Manchester United looks significant, with City seemingly in the driving seat despite Guardiola’s exit. It could take about £100 million ($134 million) to complete that move. Anderson’s midfield compatriot Adam Wharton finished the campaign by leading Crystal Palace to Conference League glory, adding to the FA Cup won last term, and Palace face Europe-wide interest. Real Madrid, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and Man Utd have all been mentioned, with Palace valuing Wharton at approximately £100 million ($134 million).
