Konate's Liverpool days numbered as exit predicted by former Premier League executive

Ibrahima Konate looks set for the exit at Liverpool, with a former Premier League power broker forecasting the centre-back will move on once his deal expires in the summer.

The French defender endured a miserable opening to the campaign as Liverpool's title defence stumbled, though his performances have improved markedly since December arrived.

Why the Bernabéu lost interest

Real Madrid were keen on bringing the ex-RB Leipzig man to Spain on a free transfer come summer, but Konate's shaky form in the first half of the season prompted Los Blancos to pull back from their pursuit.

However, the Spanish outfit could resurrect their interest now that Marc Guehi has decamped to Manchester City in January and Dayot Upamecano has reportedly penned fresh terms at Bayern Munich. Both defenders, alongside Konate, were tracking towards free agency this summer.

The man with the forecast

Keith Wyness, who previously held the chief executive's chair at Everton, Aston Villa and Aberdeen, is confident Konate will be heading elsewhere. Speaking to Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, the 26-year-old is destined to depart Merseyside.

"He's going to be gone—there's no doubt about it," Wyness declared. "He will be off, and I think it will be the right thing."

The executive believes Konate will rediscover his best form as the campaign winds down, mirroring the kind of performances that caught Real Madrid's eye before his dip. This uptick, Wyness suggested, stems from the natural pressure cooker of contract situations.

"You'll see him play in a very good second part of the season. He will be coming back to the form that had Real Madrid and all the others looking at him," Wyness explained. "When players come towards the end of their contract, suddenly that effort is at 110% rather than the 90% you've seen at the start of the season."

He acknowledged this pattern as human nature rather than anything sinister. "I'm not saying it's necessarily premeditated, but certainly it's something that happens, and it's a part of human performance."

The bigger picture

Arne Slot's side have already moved to address their defensive depth, striking a £60million agreement with Stade Rennes for teenage prospect Jeremy Jacquet, who will arrive in the summer. That deal could very well signal the changing of the guard at the back.

With Konate seemingly destined for pastures new and no signs of a contract renewal materialising, his long-term future at Anfield remains decidedly murky. Real Madrid's retreat from the scene only adds to the uncertainty.

Wyness also raised eyebrows about Virgil van Dijk's situation, suggesting the captain too may be approaching the twilight of his Liverpool tenure and wondering whether reinforcements will follow.