Hugo Ekitike Urges Ibrahima Konate to Sign New Deal at Liverpool
Hugo Ekitike has stepped into the Ibrahima Konate contract saga with a simple, pointed message that cuts through all the noise: sign.
As news spreads that Konate is expected to leave Liverpool on a free transfer this summer after talks over a new deal collapsed, Ekitike has publicly nudged his teammate to stay put at Anfield. Not in a press conference. Not through an agent. On Instagram.
“Signe, frère”
Konate had posted a photo of himself arriving for France duty ahead of the World Cup, a reminder of the status he has built for club and country. Liverpool supporters quickly flooded the comments, desperate for one more win – this time in the boardroom rather than on the pitch – pleading with the defender to commit his future to the club.
Ekitike, recovering from a serious Achilles injury that cost him his own place at that tournament, joined the chorus. Replying to a fan calling on Konate to sign, the forward wrote: “signe frere” with two laughing emojis. Translated: “sign, brother.”
It was light-hearted, but it landed with weight. The kind of public nudge only a teammate and friend can deliver.
From “big chance I’m here” to likely exit
The timing of the message only sharpens the sense of what Liverpool stand to lose. Just a few weeks ago, Konate sounded optimistic, even relaxed, about his future when he spoke after a win over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
“For sure, there is a big chance I’m here next season,” he said. “This is what I always wanted. I’m waiting to sort the contract, but when everything is sorted, you will have to ask Richard (Hughes) what I said to him in September, November and he’s going to say something to make everyone quiet.”
He repeated the point, almost teasing what might come out once the paperwork was done.
“When everything's going to be sorted, I wish you had a discussion with Richard and asked what I said to him a few months ago, before everyone talked about everything. When he’s going to reply, you will see. I just wish that.”
The contract, though, was never signed. The optimism has evaporated. The expectation now is that Konate will walk away at the end of his deal.
A leader on the way out?
Konate’s possible departure hits harder because of what he represents inside the dressing room. As Liverpool prepare for a summer of change under Arne Slot, the centre-back has been open about the role he already plays behind the scenes.
“I think I'm a leader already for this team, for the younger players, and for everyone to be fair,” he said. “We know this is part of the football life. The legends are going to leave one day and after, it's going to be our turn to take the lead. I started this already and it's a big responsibility.”
That responsibility, he added, is tied to the scale of the club.
“We start and we play football to have this kind of chance and to make sure everything is fine for this amazing club. But I need the help of everyone as well.”
Those are not the words of a fringe player drifting towards the exit. They are the words of someone who sees himself at the heart of the next Liverpool side – or at least did, until the negotiations stalled.
Five years, and a long queue forming
Signed from RB Leipzig in 2021, Konate has spent five years at Anfield, growing into one of Europe’s most imposing defenders when fit. On a free transfer, he will not be short of admirers. Real Madrid and PSG are already among the clubs linked, and more will circle if Liverpool cannot pull off a late reversal.
Ekitike’s message does not change the numbers on the table or the strategy in the boardroom. But it does reveal something else: inside that dressing room, there are players who do not want to see Konate go.
Liverpool now face a stark question. Can they afford to lose not just a defender in his prime, but a self-declared leader, to a direct European rival for nothing – while his own teammates are still urging him, even in public, to stay and sign?
