SHOCK Liverpool U-turn as Slot and Hughes ‘reconsider’ out-of-contract star’s future – NOT Ibrahima Konate

Liverpool manager Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes are planning to hand one of the club’s long-serving players a new contract to stop him from following Ibrahima Konate and leaving on a free transfer next summer, according to a report.

Much has been made about Konate’s future, with the defender out of contract at Liverpool at the end of the season. The France international has been on the books of Liverpool since 2021 and has won the Premier League and the FA Cup once each and the EFL Cup on two occasions.

Sources have told TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, that Real Madrid are keen on signing Konate as a free agent next summer.

There have been reports in the Spanish media that Madrid have a ‘preliminary agreement’ with Konate over a contract until the summer of 2031.

Konate, though, is not the only Liverpool defender who is out of contract at the end of the season.

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Andy Robertson’s current deal with Liverpool, too, runs out next summer when he will become a free agent.

There have been no suggestions that the defending Premier League champions have any plans to  offer the Scottish left-back a new contract.

However, according to Football Insider, Liverpool manager Slot and sporting director Hughes are now considering handing Robertson a new deal.

Milos Kerkez joined Liverpool from Bournemouth in the summer of 2025 and was expected to become the number one left-back right away.

However, Kerkez’s start to his Liverpool career has been less than impressive, with Robertson starting at left-back against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League at Anfield on Wednesday.

Kerkez not making the kind of instant impact at Liverpool that the Hungary international was expected to ‘is leading Arne Slot and the Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes to reconsider the club’s stance on’ Roberton’s future, according to the report.

What Andy Robertson has said about Liverpool situation

Journalist Pete O’Rourke, who wrote the aforementioned report for Football Insider, said on Inside Track podcast: “It’s going to be interesting to see what happens with Andy Robertson over the next few months.

“He is into the final year of his contract at Anfield right now, he turns 32 as well. Kerkez has been brought in as a long-term replacement for Robertson in that left-back role.

“I still think Robertson’s got a role to play at Liverpool right now, he is the vice-captain right now behind Virgil van Dijk so that shows how important he is in the dressing room and around the club as well.

“I think Liverpool will be hoping to keep hold of Andy Robertson with a new deal being explored and, look, he’s back in the team right now…so let’s see if Robertson gets a run in the team now with Kerkez taken out of the firing line after a difficult start to his life at Anfield.”

Robertson, who has been at Anfield since 2017, was linked with a move away from Liverpool at the end of last season.

Atletico Madrid were interested in Robertson, but the Spanish giants eventually signed Matteo Ruggeri instead.

Robertson is aware that he will have to fight for his place in the Liverpool starting line-up, but he is ready to do.

The 31-year-old scored against Atletico at Anfield, and after the match, he told TNT Sports: “It’s been difficult but the communication with the manager and the coaches has been good. We’ve always kept a good relationship.

“I knew there was going to be more competition this season, more risks of me not playing. I knew the start of the season was going to be difficult, but I knew if I kept doing what I was doing I’d hopefully get my chance.

“It’s up to me to keep doing that. I got minutes in the internationals to keep match fitness, I probably played more than I expected to last weekend due to circumstances, and just delighted to start here tonight.”

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