Liverpool ‘fear’ exit as Slot ‘lashes out’ at Reds star but manager is blamed for ‘headline treatment’

Liverpool ‘fear’ that Ibrahima Konate will leave for Real Madrid in the summer after Arne Slot ‘lashed out’ at the centre-back, according to reports.

The Reds had a good start to the new Premier League season with Slot’s side winning all five of their first five fixtures after winning the title last term.

However, Liverpool had a terrible week by their standards with the Reds losing three games in a row to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea.

Liverpool’s midfield looks extremely disjointed this season, while their new-look backline is yet to impress fans and seems more porous than last term.

Full-backs Milos Kerkez, Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong have been highlighted as issues for Liverpool when attacking and defending – but no-one has got more criticism than Konate this term.

Konate came off injured on 56 minutes against Chelsea on Saturday with Slot admitted that he had already thought about replacing the Liverpool centre-back for tactical reasons.

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Slot told reporters: “If you’re losing a game, it doesn’t help if you lose the ball several times very easily. Konate has been one of them, though not the only one. In the last two games, it’s been obvious and clear that we’ve made some mistakes, but not just Konate, others too.”

And now Spanish publication AS describe Slot ‘lashing out’ at the France international in his interview as Liverpool now ‘fear’ losing him to Real Madrid for nothing in the summer.

Efforts from Liverpool to renew Konate’s contract ‘remains a wish’ for now with AS more convinced than ever that the Frenchman will end up at the Bernabeu.

Former Liverpool youth product Conor Coady thinks Slot’s tactics are to blame for Konate’s poor form this season with the 26-year-old forced to defend at right-back.

Coady said on BBC’s Monday Night Club: “He’s getting a bit of stick at the start of the season, let’s be honest.

“But you’ve got to remember he’s been a player who’s been there for years, and he’s having to play a different way now.”

On Liverpool’s new setup, Coady added: “He’s lost somebody next to him.

“He’s having to defend in the channel because Conor Bradley’s out of position and Szoboszlai is in central midfield. Teams are exploiting that space now, and Konate’s got to go out and defend there.”

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“No centre-back will ever tell you they want to defend as a right-back. It’s hard. That’s the reason you don’t play there.”

And Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand reckons Konate is getting more criticism than others because of the speculation surrounding his future.

Ferdinand said: “There’s no way that Konate has a bad performance last season and he’s getting the headline treatment. It’s only because of the interest from Real Madrid, and there’s going to be disgruntled fans or people in the media that support Liverpool who are going to now start pointing the finger and blaming him.

“Or, whenever there’s a little mistake here, and if there’s blame to be put between two people, then he’ll probably get it now because of that situation.”

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