Rio Ferdinand has singled out Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate for praise after his performance against Arsenal at the weekend.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand claimed that Konate was back to his best, and he was particularly impressed with how he dealt with Viktor Gyokeres:

“Konate looked something like himself again. Solid. He was the one who was going up against Gyokeres most of the time and he handled him really well.”

Gyokeres has been hailed by Gunners fans as the missing piece in the jigsaw, having joined from Sporting Lisbon for £64m in the summer, but he didn’t really lay a glove on Konate, who outmuscled him more than once.

Konate injury concerns have been played down

The 26-year-old was forced off in the second half during the 1-0 win at Anfield on Sunday, but speaking after the game, head coach Arne Slot was quick to downplay the seriousness of the issue, suggesting that it was only “cramp”.

Konate reportedly trained with France’s squad on Wednesday, which suggests he will be fit when the Reds play their next fixture against Burnley on Sunday week.

Will he still be a Liverpool player next season?

A bigger worry than Konate’s fitness is his contract situation. His current deal is set to expire in June next year and he has yet to put pen to paper on an extension.

It has been reported that a new proposal has been tabled in recent weeks but there is no indication at the moment that he will sign on the dotted line.

Konate has been linked with Real Madrid, and there are legitimate concerns that he could follow Trent Alexander-Arnold and move to the Bernabeu on a free transfer. That would be a major setback for the Reds.

Read more about the Liverpool First Team Squad for 2025/26 here