Liverpool have faced another major setback just days after their new signing, Giovanni Leoni, suffered a serious injury during his debut game.
Leoni, an 18-year-old centre-back, joined Liverpool from Italian side Parma for £26 million just over a month ago. He made his first appearance for the club in the Carabao Cup third-round match against Southampton.
What started as an exciting moment for Leoni quickly turned into a nightmare when he had to be substituted after 81 minutes due to what appeared to be a serious injury. It was later confirmed that he likely suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which will probably sideline him for the rest of the season.
The situation seems to have worsened for Liverpool, especially after transfer expert David Ornstein’s latest report highlighted concerns. With Leoni expected to miss the entire season, Liverpool fans are increasingly worried about their limited options at centre-back, as only Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez remain fit.
During the summer transfer window, Liverpool were heavily linked with Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, but the move collapsed on deadline day. Now, fans fear Konate could soon leave after Ornstein revealed that Arsenal have reached an agreement with their defender William Saliba.
Recently, both Konate and Saliba have been linked with moves to Real Madrid, who are looking to sign a top centre-back next summer. With contracts for Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba expiring in 2026, the new signing would likely play alongside rising talent Dean Huijsen, who arrived from Bournemouth in the summer.
Ornstein’s report for The Athletic states that Saliba is expected to sign a contract until 2030 despite Real Madrid’s interest, which has led many Liverpool supporters to believe Konate’s transfer to the Spanish giants is almost certain.
However, Liverpool are still keen to keep Konate and are trying to negotiate a new contract. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, talks are not going well, which could fuel rumors that Konate wants to join Real Madrid as a free agent.
On the Here We Go Podcast, Romano said: “Real Madrid are definitely keeping an eye on Ibrahima Konate’s situation… At the moment, things look difficult between Konate and Liverpool. No agreement is close yet.”
He added: “Konate’s contract runs out in 2026, so there might be a chance for Real Madrid, and they’re watching closely. But it’s still early days for any decisions.”
Meanwhile, Spanish outlet Marca reports that Real Madrid’s interest in Konate “is an open secret.”
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