Ibrahima Konate dilemma is obvious as Liverpool and Arne Slot face huge transfer decision

 Incoming Liverpool manager Arne Slot has some important decisions to make over his squad this summer.

It is not only in attack where Liverpool are faced with big decisions over members of their squad this summer

For all the talk over the futures of Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz, far little has been said regarding how the Reds should address their glaring issues in the centre-back position in the coming weeks.

Aside from Virgil van Dijk, who has performed to a consistent level throughout the campaign, Liverpool have not experienced the same joy from those who have partnered the Dutchman during the course of the season.

Joel Matip was enjoying an effective run in the team up until December, at which point he suffered a serious ACL setback to rule him out until May, forcing Klopp to reconsider his plans in this position.

Earning a first start in a 3-1 away win at Wolves, Jarell Quansah offered a glimpse of his quality and has gone on to represent the club a total of 33 times in all competitions during an impressive breakthrough year.

Starting four of the Reds' last five Premier League matches, the youngster has seemingly taken the place of Ibrahima Konate - a player who there remains a big question mark over. The Frenchman's debut campaign at the club in 2021/22 was one to remember, playing a key role in Liverpool winning a domestic double and reaching the Champions League final, but Konate has not kicked on since then and now finds himself in a peculiar position ahead of the summer transfer window.

With the Reds almost certain to recruit a new central defender in the event of Matip moving on and Quansah's rise propelling him into first-team contention, what does the future hold for Konate?

It has been a season to forget for the former RB Leipzig star, whose last two starts came in defeats against Crystal Palace and Everton, and has seen mistakes begin to creep into his game. A red card in a defeat by Arsenal in February proved costly and the 24-year-old was fortunate not to have suffered a similar fate during the Merseyside Derby at Anfield back in October.

A separate, persistent issue has been Konate's injury record. The Paris-born defender has missed a total of 89 matches for club and country since the 2017/18 season and is no longer someone who can be relied upon on a consistent basis. Whether or not this is a problem the incoming manager, Arne Slot, wishes to contend with remains to be seen.

A ruthless approach to the situation could see Liverpool cash in on the France international this summer, who has two years remaining on his contract. If the Reds are to part ways with the centre-back, this is the time to do it. Handing out a new deal to a player whose form has dipped to alarming levels would certainly represent a risky move, particularly at a time when Slot has the opportunity to take this Liverpool team in a new direction.

Further chances are likely to come the way of Quansah in 2024/25, in addition to any players recruited in this area in the transfer window. Konate's prospects are less certain, which could prompt a re-think from both the club and defender himself.