Slot must axe Liverpool ace who earns way more than Konate

Are the Liverpool first team, who are flying so high, the sum of Jurgen Klopp‘s dynasty or of Arne Slot‘s lightning-fast start to life on Merseyside?

To be sure, Slot inherited a top-class team, but he’s inculcated his football philosophy with such slickness and style that it’s as if Klopp has simply shed an outer layer, metamorphosing into an imperious new form.

It’s quite a thing that Liverpool had such a quiet summer transfer window and are operating in the shadow of worrying contract situations concerning Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, all into the final year of their deals.

So many players have been at the height of their game, but Ibrahima Konate might just be the Anfield side’s player of the season so far.

Ibrahima Konate’s season in numbers

Konate has been a monstrous presence in central defence this season, and he’s actually starting to rival his skipper, Van Dijk, for the prize as Liverpool’s star centre-back, with The Athletic’s James Pearce hailing the “imperious” partnership.

Konate might not be as commanding as the other end of Liverpool’s central defensive axis, but he’s certainly starting to showcase his first-class quality with the regularity that fans have yearned for right since he stepped onto Merseyside in 2021, having signed from RB Leipzig for a £36m fee.

Injuries are behind him. Now let’s hope it just stays that way. Federico Chiesa could take a leaf from the hulking defender’s book, but at the moment, the dynamic forward’s future under Slot’s wing isn’t looking good.

Federico Chiesa’s bleak start

It’s incredible, it really is. Liverpool spent all summer umming and ahhing, hesitant to launch an official bid at a new player. Martin Zubimendi rejected the Reds, but Ryan Gravenberch has compensated for that failure and then some.

Chiesa was the sole signing, and it’s indeed incredible that he has scarcely played for the club, yet still, they have made significant improvements and perch atop the Premier League and Champions League tables as the November international break gets underway.

With Liverpool’s frontline already well-stocked, Chiesa was not a necessary signing, but rather a unique opportunity. He’s had his injury issues, but Juventus wanted to cash in on a player nearing the final year of their contract, and thus he was snapped up for just £12.5m in August.

It was always going to be a risk, but a comparatively low one. Even so, Chiesa’s injury-ravaged start to life in England offers shades of Klopp’s worst signing: Arthur Melo.

Arthur joined Liverpool from Juventus on a season-long loan on summer transfer deadline day in 2022. Having missed out on Aurelien Tchouameni and failed to entice conversations with Borussia Dortmund, who held onto Jude Bellingham with an iron-fingered grip, this last-ditch attempt to shore up the midfield looked like a panicked move from the offing.

Arthur’s fitness struggles overwhelmed him entirely. He played the final 13 minutes of Liverpool’s Champions League defeat against Napoli, and that was the sum of his competitive action for the Reds’ senior side.

Chiesa, at least, has already surpassed that, with three appearances (one start) and one assist to his name at Liverpool. Even so, the Italy international, whose £150k-per-week contract is over double what Konate – £70k-per-week – takes home, will be frightened of becoming a forgotten figure so soon into life on the banks of the River Mersey.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed, though perhaps a swift exit – either temporary or on loan – may be the best solution for all parties in January, with reports already rife regarding a winter switch.

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