Liverpool’s Konate Replacement Plan
Konate is leaving on a free, but Liverpool may already have the long-term answer in-house. The smarter move is backing Jacquet and Leoni, not blocking them with an expensive short-term signing.
Nobody saw this coming quite so fast. Konate was telling reporters in April that a new deal was “close to an agreement.” As recently as last week, incoming signing Jeremy Jacquet appeared to hint that his new French teammate would still be at the club next season. Then the news broke that no agreement had been reached between the Frenchman and the club, and after 183 appearances for the Reds, Ibrahima Konate was leaving Liverpool.
It is another example of poor asset management from a Liverpool hierarchy that are watching a 27-year-old who was central to a league title win just 12 months ago leave without receiving a penny for him. The same club that let Trent Alexander-Arnold run his contract to zero has done it again. Liverpool now face another transitional season, with the squad in need of further overhaul, and a new manager required after Arne Slot was sacked on Saturday.
The instinct in some quarters will be to go out and buy a proven, senior centre-back to paper over the cracks. But in my opinion, that is a misreading of the situation. Liverpool have already invested heavily in the future of this position. They spent £26m on Giovanni Leoni and up to £60m on Jeremy Jacquet in the last year, indicating a significant investment to an area of the squad that has arguably been in need of greater strength in depth since Jarell Quansah departed for Leverkusen last summer. More on him later.
The right approach this summer is to back those players to start, give them Van Dijk’s experience alongside them, and sign a younger support option who fits the build. So what does that actually look like?
What Liverpool Are Actually Losing
Before looking forward, it helps to be precise about what Konate’s departure costs. His 2025-26 Premier League numbers: 36 appearances, 3,100 minutes and 10 clean sheets in those starts.
But the underlying metrics also flag real decline. His aerial duel win rate dropped to 68.9% this season from 72.1% the year before. His tackle success rate fell to 52.9% from 65.4% two years back, a meaningful drop. Jamie Carragher called out his defending specifically in the draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage, where Konate gave away penalty that Fulham back into a match that Liverpool were controlling.
This was not a vintage Konate season. Over five years at Anfield he was excellent value. By the end of his time here, the data suggested a player whose physical edge was beginning to soften. Losing him on a free still stings, but it does not mean Liverpool need to spend £35-40m on a direct like-for-like replacement who is older than the man they just lost.
The Case for Backing Jacquet and Leoni
This needs to be said directly: Liverpool have already solved their long-term centre-back problem. They just need to trust that they have.
Jeremy Jacquet
Jacquet joins from Rennes for £55m plus add-ons, making him the second most expensive defender in Liverpool’s history. He is 21, 191cm, mobile, technically clean, and comfortable carrying the ball out from the back. Whoever, takes over from Arne Slot, this is a pre-requisite for a Liverpool centre-half in a team expected to play on the front foot. Slot himself described him publicly as a “very big talent” when the deal was announced in February. Yes, he has missed the back end of the season with a shoulder injury and will arrive without recent match minutes. But he is expected fully fit for pre-season in July. A shoulder injury at 20 years old is more likely a blip than a long-term concern, and the Frenchman will be ready to step up.
Giovanni Leoni
Italian Leoni has been through a harder road. The £26m signing from Parma tore his ACL on his Liverpool debut against Southampton in September 2025, and has spent the entire season recovering. Slot did not hide his excitement at what Liverpool will be getting back, proclaiming that the young Italian had “become a beast.” The physical development visible on social media has been remarkable, and he is tracking for a full pre-season return in July.
These are not players being asked to punch above their weight. They are two of the most physically gifted young centre-backs in European football. The ACL history with Leoni means his minutes need managing sensibly through the first few months back, while Jacquet may need time to acclimatise to Premier League intensity and physicality. Neither of those realities should mean they start the season on the bench indefinitely. Van Dijk’s leadership alongside them is one of the best development environments a young centre-back could ask for. They should be in the starting XI with regularity from the off, not waiting for an older signing to get injured before they get a run.
The point is not that Liverpool should do nothing this summer in central defence. It is that the addition should be a younger, high-ceiling player who raises the competition and provides genuine cover. What that means is that a quality, experienced centre-back like Juventus’ Gleison Bremer is not the answer.
Why Bremer Is Not the Answer
Gleison Bremer has appeared on multiple shortlists since Konate’s exit was confirmed, and the headlines are understandable. He has been one of Serie A’s best centre-backs, he contributed four goals and three assists in 26 league appearances this season, and Juventus are reportedly willing to sell at around €40m after missing out on Champions League football.
But the concern is not the fee. The concern is the body.
Bremer suffered a season-ending ACL injury in October 2024, missing 53 games in that campaign. This season, in his first campaign back, he had further physical problems, primarily a meniscus injury and consequent surgery that meant he missed a further 15 games this season. He is 29 years old with two serious knee procedures in two years, and Liverpool cannot afford to splash out on another player with a chequered injury history after having their 2025/26 campaign heavily impacted by injury.
Given that Liverpool already have Jacquet and Leoni as the centre-backs they have committed to, and given that Van Dijk himself is 35, spending £35m on another injury-prone defender in his late twenties does not move the problem on. It just defers it by 18 months and pushes two expensive young signings further down the pecking order in the process.
If Bremer can stay fit across a full season, he is an excellent footballer, and the data backs that. But a 29-year-old coming off two years of knee problems is not a reliable foundation to build Liverpool’s defensive future around, and that is the specific thing they are trying to do right now.
Konstantinos Koulierakis: The Fit That Makes Sense
The name that deserves more serious attention in this window is Konstantinos Koulierakis. The 22-year-old Greek international became available after Wolfsburg suffered their first-ever Bundesliga relegation this season, and multiple reports have already placed him on Liverpool’s radar.
The 22-year-old, and has already made 29 Bundesliga appearances this season, contributing four goals and accumulating 1,977 ball actions across the campaign. His game reading is flagged consistently in scouting assessments. He made 34 interceptions this season, possesses strong aerial win percentages, and progressive passing that sits above the average for Bundesliga centre-backs. He has 19 senior caps for Greece and has been on the European radar for two seasons.
Crucially, he is available at a sensible price. Transfermarkt values him at approximately €25m. With Wolfsburg relegated and the player pushing for an exit, Liverpool have genuine negotiating leverage. At that cost, he fits the window budget without forcing the club to cannibalise funds needed elsewhere to strengthen a squad sorely lacking in other areas.
The caveat is the size of the step up. Moving from a relegated Bundesliga side to Champions League football with Liverpool is a significant jump. But that is exactly the kind of transition Koulierakis needs to be making at 22, and it is exactly the kind of environment he would be walking into. He would not be arriving to carry the team. He would be arriving as part of a rotation alongside Jacquet, Leoni and Van Dijk, getting his Champions League minutes in stages while the younger pair take on the brunt of Premier League starts.
That is a realistic and constructive role for him. It also means that when Jacquet or Leoni needs managing, or when Van Dijk misses a game, there is genuine quality available rather than a scramble.
What Happens to Quansah?
The Jarell Quansah situation is a separate conversation but worth addressing briefly. Liverpool sold the academy graduate to Bayer Leverkusen for £35m last summer and retained a buyback clause, currently worth €80m and dropping to €60m in 2027. Quansah has had a strong Bundesliga season boasting 28 appearances, 2,302 minutes, four goals, and capping off his season with an England World Cup call-up.
Reports confirm Liverpool have decided not to trigger the €80m clause this summer. That is the right call at that price. Quansah has done well in Germany and is clearly developing, but €80m for a player who struggled at Anfield only a year ago, when you already have Jacquet, Leoni and could add Koulierakis, is very hard to justify. Revisiting in 2027 at €60m when the player is a year further along, and Van Dijk approaches the end of his contract, is a much more sensible call.
The Bigger Picture: Van Dijk Cannot Play Forever
Van Dijk turns 35 this summer and enters the final year of his deal in 2026-27. Some will flag that as another ticking clock, but the timeline actually works in Liverpool’s favour here. If Van Dijk sees out his contract and departs in summer 2027, and Liverpool decide to introduce Leoni and Jacquet as serious starting options this coming season, both young centre-backs will have a full Premier League season behind them by that point. while learning alongside arguably the best defender of his generation.
Securing a Van Dijk extension would obviously be welcome and would give the rebuild another year of breathing room. But even without one, the succession is manageable. The more important contract conversation this summer is not Van Dijk’s. It is making sure Liverpool do not repeat the Konate situation, watching another asset walk out the door for free because the club left renewal talks too late.
Our Pick
Blood Jacquet and Leoni in 2026/27 and back them to start. Surround them with Van Dijk’s leadership and add Koulierakis as the competition and cover that a four-CB rotation across the Premier League and Champions League demands.
The Konate exit is painful, despite his tail-off in form last season. However, it is also an opportunity to commit to the direction Liverpool’s recruitment has already pointed toward. Spending £35m on a 29-year-old in Bremer coming off two knee operations to manage the workload of £86m worth of young centre-backs would be a strange use of that money. Koulierakis is younger, cheaper, and presents the right kind of challenge to Jacquet and Leoni: competition they can beat on merit, not a ceiling they spend two seasons trying to see past.
Frequently Asked Questions
Konate’s five-year contract expires on June 30, 2026. Despite months of negotiations, and Konate himself suggesting in April that a deal was close, no agreement was reached. Liverpool have accepted his departure and he will leave as a free agent.
Jeremy Jacquet was signed from Rennes in February 2026 for £55m (potentially rising to £60m with add-ons) and will officially join on July 1. Giovanni Leoni was signed from Parma in summer 2025 for £26m but missed the entire 2025-26 season with an ACL injury suffered on debut. Both are expected for pre-season in July 2026.
Should Liverpool sign Gleison Bremer? Bremer’s performances have been strong when fit, but he has suffered two serious knee injuries in consecutive seasons and is 29 years old. Given that Liverpool have already committed £86m across Jacquet and Leoni as their long-term centre-back answer, adding another injury-prone veteran would risk pushing both players further down the depth chart rather than giving them the development platform they were signed to fill.
Koulierakis is a 22-year-old Greek international centre-back who became available following Wolfsburg’s Bundesliga relegation. He made 29 appearances in 2025-26, scored four goals, recorded 34 interceptions, and is valued at approximately €25m. His progressive ball-playing ability and physical profile suit the Premier League, and his age fits Liverpool’s long-term defensive rebuild.
Not this summer. Liverpool have decided against triggering their €80m buyback clause on Quansah from Bayer Leverkusen. Reports indicate the plan is to reassess in 2027 when the clause drops to €60m, following another full season of development at Leverkusen.
Jacquet underwent shoulder surgery in March 2026 after suffering an injury while still at Rennes. He is expected fully fit for pre-season in July 2026 but will not have played competitive football since February.
Leoni is on track for a full pre-season return in July 2026 following his ACL recovery. He will not play again in 2025-26 but is expected to be available from the start of the new campaign.
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