Virgil van Dijk’s recommendation to ‘world class’ Ibrahima Konate… with defender’s Liverpool contract ending this summer time

Virgil van Dijk wants his ‘world-class centre back’ partner Ibrahima Konate to stay at Liverpool, with the Frenchman out of contract in four months.

Konate’s situation mirrors that of Van Dijk this time last year, with the defender free to talk to foreign clubs as agreeing a renewal proves tricky.

But Van Dijk has urged Konate, who is maybe his closest friend at the club, to stay and says there is ‘always hope’ that a contract extension will happen.

‘We are friends, we speak about everything,’ said Van Dijk. ‘It’s a process and let’s see what comes out of it. It’s never that easy.

‘We saw my situation last year so it’s never that easy that we can just say “let’s get it done”.

‘Obviously I want him to stay. He’s an important figure on the pitch. That’s what everyone sees but off the pitch as well, he’s one of the leaders. He’s outstanding and in my eyes, a world-class centre back.

‘I can do only so much but it’s in the club’s hands, together with his agents and himself so let’s see what comes out of it but I have no influence otherwise on that.

‘It was not my decision to leave it that late (last year) but it is what it is. There’s always hope.’

Virgil van DIjk (left) joined the celebrations after Ibrahima Konate’s goal in Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Newcastle earlier this month 

Konate had a tricky start to the season but has found his form again in recent months. Talks were first opened over a new deal in autumn 2024 but it has proven tricky to find a breakthrough.

Real Madrid were keen on signing the defender on a free transfer but talk of that has quietened in recent months. Given his Parisian origins, he has always been mentioned in the same breath as Paris Saint-Germain but nothing more than that up until now.

Therefore, finding an agreement with Liverpool might be his best option. Konate has previously talked about his love for the club.

Van Dijk agrees with manager Arne Slot that Liverpool must be close to perfect to achieve Champions League qualification this season.

‘If you look at the teams around, some of them dropped points, I think we’re going to play most of them so definitely we need some perfection,’ said the captain.

Konate and Van Dijk kept a clean sheet in the 1-0 win at Sunderland on Wednesday

‘(The game against Sunderland) was pretty close to perfection, how we defended, the intensity but also the chances we generated and maybe should have scored (more) but it’s still game by game.

‘Unfortunately, we’ve got Wata (Endo) out now – hopefully not too long but it could be. We’re very thin at the moment. We need everyone available but it’s a combination of being ready, physically and mentally.

‘For example, last game losing in that manner at home and you have to be strong to come back from that. That’s why I’m proud of the guys (at Sunderland) and the shift they put in. It’s an important three points.’

Endo will be sent for scans in the next 24 hours after being taken off on a stretcher and boss Slot fears he could be out for a ‘long, long time’.