This summer, Liverpool will part ways with one of their key players as Trent Alexander-Arnold transfers to Real Madrid without a fee.
Concerns are growing that he may not be the only departure, as reports indicate the club is apprehensive about losing another star player in a similar manner soon.
Alexander-Arnold, who rose through the ranks at Anfield, became a beloved figure among Liverpool supporters and achieved nearly every accolade possible with the team.
His exceptional performance as a right-back has significantly transformed the role over the years.
Although he is regarded as a club legend, his contract expiration this summer has led him to declare his intention to leave Liverpool for Real Madrid.
This announcement has concluded months of speculation regarding a potential transfer to Los Blancos, yet it has incited anger among Liverpool fans towards the English player.
The club is now concerned that another player may follow in his footsteps due to recent conduct.
Before Alexander-Arnold actually revealed his intention to leave Liverpool for Real Madrid, he behaved in a certain manner and, according to Marca, Liverpool feel as though Ibrahima Konate is acting in a similar fashion.
The centre-back’s contract is set to expire next summer, becoming a free agent in 2026 and at the time of writing, he’s rejected any approaches for a new deal.
The club is convinced he’s behaving similarly to Alexander-Arnold during the final year of his contract and they’re now concerned that history is going to repeat itself and they’re going to lose Konate to Madrid for free just a year after the right-back’s exit.
The report also suggested that the club’s concerns about the former RB Leipzig man moving to the Santiago Bernabeu when his contract expires have made them reluctant to allow Alexander-Arnold to join Los Blancos early and compete in the Club World Cup as a result.
Having joined Liverpool in 2021, the France international has become a key figure for the Reds and was influential in the side winning their second ever Premier League title during Arne Slot’s debut campaign in England.
He’s played 130 games so far for the Reds and while he isn’t quite as beloved or as iconic at Liverpool as Alexander-Arnold, losing him for free to the same team that the right-back went to 12 months earlier would still sting.