Liverpool set January asking price for Ibrahima Konate as key £15m 'condition' emerges

Liverpool have supposedly slapped a cut-price valuation on the head of defender Ibrahima Konate following the Frenchman's latest disastrous moment.

The former RB Leipzig man has experienced a notable decline in performance levels this season and was at fault for Leeds United's first goal in Saturday's 3-3 Premier League draw.

With Liverpool 2-0 up, Konate went sliding in on Wilfried Gnonto inside the penalty area, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted the resulting penalty to cut the deficit in half for the Whites.

Anton Stach's leveller preceded a Dominik Szoboszlai strike for the Premier League champions, but Arne Slot's men threw two points away in devastating circumstances, as Ao Tanaka struck a 96th-minute equaliser.

Liverpool only have two full days to recover before a Champions League showdown with Inter Milan at San Siro, but Konate has been tipped to lose his place in the first XI amid a series of disappointing displays.

Liverpool set cut-price January fee for Ibrahima Konate?

The 26-year-old's pitiful form comes as he prepares to enter the last six months of his contract with Liverpool, who have made no breakthrough in talks with his camp over an extension.

The Reds may therefore consider selling Konate in January if they cannot come to an agreement with his entourage, and according to Football Insider, Liverpool will accept £15m for the Frenchman next month under one condition.

Slot's side will supposedly let Konate leave for that amount if they can sign a replacement in the same window, as the Premier League champions are already without the youthful Giovanni Leoni for the entire season due to his devastating ACL injury.

Real Madrid were long considered to be the favourites for Konate, but it has since been reliably reported that Los Blancos are not pursuing the former RB Leipzig man, plunging his future into further uncertainty.

Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have been touted as two alternative destinations for the France international, but both sides may wish to wait until the end of the season to sign Konate on a free transfer.

While Liverpool have been in dialogue with Konate's camp over an extension, it would also not be a surprise to see those talks placed on hold if the centre-back's performances do not improve in the coming months.

Konate - whom Slot admitted on Saturday was often at the "crime scene" too often this season - has registered six goals and four assists in 153 appearances for Liverpool since joining in a £35m deal from Leipzig in 2021.

Who could Liverpool sign in January to replace Ibrahima Konate?

If Liverpool do receive strong interest in Konate next month, the Reds could reinvest those funds in long-term target Marc Guehi, whom Crystal Palace also do not want to see walk out of the door for nothing next month.

However, Eagles boss Oliver Glasner is expected to veto Guehi's mid-season exit unless Palace also bring in a replacement, so Liverpool may be forced to look elsewhere for the time being.

Brighton & Hove Albion's Jan Paul van Hecke and Leipzig's Castello Lukeba have been mooted as potential alternatives, but after spending north of £400m in the summer, Liverpool cannot break the bank in January too.