Konate is expected back in training on the other side of the international break and could take more responsibility than ever for a new-look Liverpool.
Now in his third season as a Liverpool player. Ibrahima Konate’s development at Anfield has largely gone according to plan so far.
Konate was just days away from his 22nd birthday when he was confirmed to join the Reds at the end of May 2021, as the former RB Leipzig man arrived in a somewhat textbook move to Liverpool.
He was young but relatively experienced, bought from a club with whom the Reds have a good relationship, and was around £35-40m, which Anfield preferred. His form at the time was enough to get him into the squad immediately, but his long-term potential left the Reds’ recruitment team hesitant to sign him. Originally reserved for Champions League games when he covered for Joel Matip, the France international finally challenged his more experienced teammate in Premier League games, where Konate started alongside Virgil van Dijk at the end of his first season. The Reds beat Real Madrid in the European Cup final.
At the start of last season, Konate was the undisputed first choice alongside Van Dijk and it has been an established partnership as the pair have been in form ever since. A tactical adjustment that saw Trent Alexander-Arnold play a hybrid midfield role has only strengthened Konate since then.
The Paris-born centre-half’s power and speed marked him as the ideal profile to complete Alexander-Arnold’s new role in Liverpool’s system, allowing the England international to develop further.
Rejig was a big part of the reason Jurgen Klopp’s side went on an 11-game unbeaten run towards the end of the campaign, with Konate featuring in nine games, including outstanding performances – particularly in the second half – in two. -2 draw with Arsenal over Easter.
“Yes, maybe [Alexander-Arnold’s position] has made me a better player because I have to do more,” Konate said in the summer. “Because I have more defensive space. But I have a nice team to help me with that and we’ll see what happens this season.”
It was a dominant display from Konate who allowed Alexander-Arnold to flourish centrally as the Reds fought back from two goals down to narrowly claim a late – and deserved – winner from the centre-back himself, denied by goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
If this afternoon was a breakthrough moment for Alexander-Arnold, it was also for Konate, although in a quieter way.
“One of the few who avoided real criticism in the first half and grew into the game against (Gabriel) Jesus,” wrote the ECHO’s verdict on Konate when he was rated 9 in the players’ rating. “Caught the crowd with a very strong challenge on Xhaka and almost got the winner at the last second. Good stuff.” No player achieved a higher score that day.
In the last Premier League game against Aston Villa, it was noticeable how Alexander-Arnold paid more attention to where and when he chose his moments to drift into areas that a more traditional midfielder could take.
With Konate currently on the sidelines with an injury aggravated when Liverpool were forced to play half an hour against Bournemouth last month, Alexander-Arnold was at times far less free than he intended to be, but made the most of it. his chances. 3-0 win at Anfield.
With Klopp hoping for Konate’s return in the second half of the international break, it will be interesting to see how much stronger the Reds look with their first choice back on the right side of the centre-half positions and with Alexander-Arnold on. screen such confidence as he made against Villa. “This system, where Trent goes into the midfield and increases the attacking positions, is the key to recent success,” Konate told
“It’simportant that we can bring Trent on the field because of the quality of his play. We all know what a great passer he is, I’d say he’s one of the best passers in the world. I think it made us more clinical. and determined before a goal.”
With No. 66 sidelined with a hamstring strain, it could be a few weeks before we see the pair side by side again. Konate could return to training as early as this week, handing the defensive unit a suspension for Saturday’s game at Wolves.
The creative demands placed on Alexander-Arnold in Liverpool’s relatively new squad also affect the backs, and none more so than Konate, who previously explained how the increased workload resulted in him feeling more tired after games.
But as the 24-year-old settles into the role, there are likely to be few in the Premier League more naturally suited to it. His imminent return will be a huge boost for Klopp as he continues to look fit and fast.
