The 27-year-old French centre-back's deal expires at the end of June and talks that have dragged on for the better part of a year have ultimately stalled, with talkSPORT first reporting the breakdown. No agreement is imminent, and the prospect of Konate departing without a transfer fee now appears near-certain.
The situation is a significant blow to manager Arne Slot, who has relied heavily on the partnership between Konate and captain Virgil van Dijk to anchor a high defensive line.
As recently as April, Konate had appeared confident a deal would be struck.
"There are many things people have said but for a long time we have spoken with the club and we are close to an agreement," he said at the time. "There is a big chance I'm here next season. This is what I always wanted."
He also pointed to the drawn-out nature of previous Liverpool renewals as cause for patience: "With Virgil and Mo (Salah) last season it was exactly the same. I think they signed in April and this is maybe how the club want it."
Those assurances have not translated into a signed contract. Reports indicate the dispute centres on the structure of the offer, with Konate's camp pushing for a higher guaranteed salary while Liverpool's proposal leaned heavily on performance-related incentives. The breakdown follows a turbulent period for the club's backline, with Trent Alexander-Arnold having departed for Real Madrid last summer and Robertson leaving this month.
Konate joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in May 2021 for £36 million and leaves with an impressive trophy haul — the Premier League title, the FA Cup, two Carabao Cups and the Community Shield — across 183 appearances for the club.
Liverpool have already moved to address the gap. Jeremy Jacquet has been signed from Rennes for £60 million, and Giovanni Leoni, whose debut season was severely disrupted by injury, will offer further cover. Van Dijk himself has one year remaining on his contract, expiring in June 2027, leaving the defensive picture in flux for Slot heading into next season.
Real Madrid had been heavily linked with Konate earlier in the season, though interest cooled after a difficult run of form in the first half of the campaign. Whether that interest revives now he is available without a fee will become clear in the coming weeks.
Liverpool's backline is being rebuilt from the ground up. Whether the pace of that rebuild matches the scale of the departures remains the defining question of their summer.