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IBRAHIMA KONATE DEAL DONE AS LIVERPOOL ISSUE CLEAR STATEMENT

Rio Ferdinand & Conor Coady defend Liverpool's Ibrahima Konaté from criticism. Ferdinand blames Real Madrid transfer links, while Coady points to a lack of protection from his right-back, forcing the centre-back into difficult wide areas.

Ibrahima Konate Deal Done as Liverpool Issue Clear Statement
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Rio Ferdinand and Conor Coady, two former Premier League defenders, have hurried to defend Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool. After receiving criticism previously this season, the Frenchman's form has been rejected by the central defensive duo.

After their Premier League title defence faltered over the past seven days, Arne Slot's team has come under intense scrutiny. Nevertheless, despite winning their first five games, Liverpool's defensive lacklustre play has been a major talking point throughout the season due to Konate's efforts.

The Reds face a similar situation to the one that saw Trent Alexander-Arnold go under a cloud after joining Real Madrid, and the 26-year-old's contract expires next summer.

The former RB Leipzig custodian has long been coveted by Los Blancos, and there has been conjecture that Xabi Alonso's team may try to take advantage of the free agency market once more.

Konate has had inconsistent play this season due to the continuous doubts about his future at Liverpool. He recovered with strong performances against Arsenal and Everton, but he was criticised for his mistakes in the games against Bournemouth, Newcastle United, and Galatasaray.

Ferdinand has asserted that Konate is being used as a scapegoat because of the uncertainty surrounding his future and the persistent rumours of a move to Madrid.

He asserted, "Konate's poor performance from the previous season is not the reason he is receiving the spotlight."

"Real Madrid's interest is the only reason for it, and now he will be the target of criticism from dissatisfied Liverpool supporters and representatives of the media.

"Or, if there is a small error here and two persons need to share blame, he will most likely receive it today due to that circumstance."

Liverpool has struggled defensively this season, and their late-game scoring spree has been undone by late-game concessions. The champions have come back from behind to tie the score in both of their previous Premier League games, but they lost in stoppage time after Estevao Willian's goal replicated Eddie Nketiah's late effort seven days prior.

Conor Bradley has also seen a decline in performance, and new defensive additions Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez have come under more scrutiny. According to Coady, Konate's accidents and unfavourable outbursts are caused by his right-sided companions' lack of protection.

"I look from a centre-back's point of view, and let us be honest, Konate is getting a little stick at the start of the season," the former Liverpool and Everton defender stated.

However, you must keep in mind that he must now play in a new manner. In other words, he is now forced to defend in the channel since Szoboszlai is out of midfield, and Frimpong or Conor Bradley are out of position.

They took advantage of that channel, so Konate had to go out and defend. Now, from the perspective of a centre-back, you do not want to go out there and defend as a right-back.

"It is difficult; you are not out there for a reason—you are not fast enough.

"Even when Trent would move into midfield, I always assumed he was there." He received a lot of criticism for his defence, but now that there is no full-back in place, the space is freed up whenever the ball is in transition, forcing Konate to defend in the channel with a huge gap.

"There is a reason you play centre-back instead of right-back, and I am telling you now, no centre-back wants to defend there."

WHY DID JEREMY JACQUET SNUB CHELSEA FOR LIVERPOOL? THE SECRET VIRGIL CONNECTION

Liverpool secure Jeremy Jacquet in a £60m Deadline Day coup. The 20-year-old chose Anfield over Chelsea for a summer move.

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Liverpool scouted Jeremy Jacquet in secret before the huge £60m bid

Liverpool turned heads on Transfer Deadline Day when Arne Slot jumped into the mix and snapped up one of Europe’s brightest young talents.

The Reds dropped £55 million up front—plus another potential £5 million in add-ons—to bring in Jeremy Jacquet. He’ll link up with his new teammates this summer. Chelsea hovered around the deal too, but Jacquet chose Liverpool over the Blues.

French football pundit Julian Laurens isn’t shy about his excitement. He told Sky Sports, “He’s the real deal. Sure, he’s only 20. He hasn’t played for France yet, and you won’t find him in the Champions League or Europa League. But he’s already shown so much. Last season, Rennes brought him back from a second division loan, and this year, playing under Habib Beye, he’s just kept improving. You can’t miss with this kid. He’s going to be special.

“He reminds me of when William Saliba broke through at Saint-Etienne, or even Wesley Fofana. The point is, if you really value untapped talent, you’re willing to pay big. And Liverpool just did—because Jacquet’s that promising.”

Jacquet grew up in Bondy, the same Paris suburb that produced Kylian Mbappe, William Saliba, and Randal Kolo Muani. It’s up in Seine-Saint-Denis, northeast of central Paris.

His football education, though, happened at Rennes out in Brittany. He came up through their academy, playing alongside guys like Desire Doue—who won the Champions League with PSG—and Tottenham’s Mathys Tel.

Back then, Jacquet idolised Paul Pogba, but once they moved him to centre-back, he started looking up to Virgil van Dijk.

He made his first-team debut for Rennes in January 2024, then went on loan to Clermont Foot 63, who were fighting relegation in Ligue 1. Even after they went down, Rennes kept him out on loan because he did so well with the French U19 squad.

But in February 2025, Rennes called him back, and he’s been a regular for Habib Beye ever since.

Asked about his playing style, Jacquet said, “I’m calm on the ball—maybe I look a little nonchalant, but I’m always focused. What makes me stand out is playing out from the back and breaking lines with the right pass.”

JEREMY JACQUET UPDATE: FABRIZIO ROMANO CONFIRMS LIVERPOOL INTEREST BUT RENNES DEMAND CLUB-RECORD FEE

Liverpool is battling Chelsea and Bayern Munich for Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet as Arne Slot faces a mounting injury crisis.

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Liverpool is in advanced talks for Jeremy Jacquet, but Rennes hold out for the summer

Liverpool really wants to sign Jeremy Jacquet this month, but with Chelsea, Man United, and Arsenal also circling, it looks like they’ll have to wait until summer.

They just locked in a spot in the Champions League last 16 after cruising past Qarabag FK, so things are looking good on that front. This season, they’ve already faced a couple of those big clubs—snatching a last-gasp win over Atletico thanks to Van Dijk’s 92nd-minute header, but coming up short with a 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in Turkey.

On Wednesday, Ryan Gravenberch ended up playing centre-back because Joe Gomez is out injured, and Ibrahima Konate is still away after his father passed away. They're really stretched at the back, especially with Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni both dealing with long-term injuries. The club decided not to go after Marc Guehi this month, which let Manchester City snap him up for under £30 million.

Now, Liverpool is eyeing Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet. L’Equipe reported in January that Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, and Liverpool all want him. Fabrizio Romano gave an update, saying Liverpool would love to get the deal done now, but Rennes just don’t want to sell until summer. So, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Bayern are all talking to Rennes and Jacquet’s people, but for now, it’s a waiting game.

With all these injuries piling up, people are wondering if Liverpool might try to bring in someone before the window closes. Arne Slot responded, saying the club always tries to make smart decisions, thinking about both the short and long term. That’s why they focus on signing young talent who can still develop—sometimes you just have to be patient and trust the process.

He pointed out that Liverpool doesn’t have a massive squad packed with four right-backs, a dozen midfielders, or a handful of strikers. They need to be clever about their moves, balancing immediate needs with future plans.

As for the latest on injuries, Slot said they’ll see how Jeremie Frimpong is doing—maybe he won’t be fit for Saturday, but he could be ready soon after. With just one game a week coming up, injuries should ease up a bit, but you never know with football.

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