There is little to suggest that Liverpool are close to turning a corner and sustaining a respectable level of performance any time soon. What is most concerning is that the Reds and their boss, Arne Slot, have shown little sign of finding a solution to any of the many problems plaguing their campaign.
Liverpool’s Premier League title defence lies in tatters. There is a grudging acceptance across the red streets of Merseyside that Arsenal’s grip on top position is out of reach. Certainly, the gulf in quality between the two sides this season suggests that Liverpool will have to settle for a lesser prize on the league front.
Liverpool have been outclassed in successive top-flight fixtures, and change is surely needed now. Indeed, Liverpool languish in 11th place in the Premier League, having scored 18 goals and conceded 20.
Defensively, it’s been a mess, and the noise concerning Ibrahima Konate is only intensifying after the thrashing dealt by Nottingham Forest brought the French defender’s season to its lowest ebb.
Why Konate is becoming a huge problem for Liverpool
Konate, 26, was immense throughout the 2024/25 campaign, a powerful partner for Virgil van Dijk. He, of course, won the Premier League title, settling as a regular starter in Didier Deschamps’ France squad too.
Now, Konate is only offering the vestiges of that former level. What is most frustrating is that he has proven his quality before, but the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold beside him as exposed Konate’s issues in establishing confident build-up patterns.
But these two versions of Konate are so staggeringly opposed that it is hard to accept this is the same player. Errors and baffling decision-making have been central parts of the £70k-per-week talent’s season, and you can’t help but question whether he is somewhat distracted by outside noise.
Konate is playing out the final year of his contract at Anfield, and though FSG have offered him an extension, there has yet to be a breakthrough as speculation regarding Real Madrid’s interest continues to linger.
The season-ending injury suffered by Giovanni Leoni in his first game for the club after signing from Parma for £27m this summer was a cruel blow. A detrimental blow. The 18-year-old’s absence has been keenly felt, not least because a move for Marc Guehi fell through on deadline day.
With Slot insinuating that Liverpool’s focus this winter might be on areas further upfield (heavy speculation centres on Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo), it might be that the Reds opt to make do at the back.
If this is to be the case, Slot must surely hand one of the club’s most talented young defenders a chance to shine.
Liverpool's academy Konate solution
Slot has shown a willingness to give youth a chance since taking over at Liverpool before the start of last season. Amara Nallo, for example, has been handed a few opportunities at senior level, albeit with those outings on the major stage leaving the up-and-comer beleaguered after red cards in both matches.
However, Nallo isn’t the only teenage centre-back who is playing himself toward senior contention, with 19-year-old Wellity Lucky inching toward a breakthrough after commanding displays for Rob Page’s development side.
The Spain-born defender moved to England aged 11 before joining Liverpool’s academy scene, and he has gone from strength to strength in the years since joining, having now made 60 appearances for the club’s respective youth levels.
Earlier this season, the “highly-rated” defender, as he was described by Reds reporter Ben Bocsak, made his professional debut off the bench as Slot’s side were beaten 3-0 by Crystal Palace at Anfield in the Carabao Cup.
In the process, he was rewarded after being “outstanding this season” in the Premier League 2, as has been said by youth correspondent Jack Lusby.
A commanding and dominant defender with a promising ability to read and then snuff out opposition attacks, Lucky has shown that he can take his power and potential and transfer that over to contests against senior opponents. In the Football League Trophy this term, Lucky has impressed against the bustle of outfits like Crewe Alexandra and Chesterfield for the U21s.
Front-footed and fast, you could even say that he offers shades of a player like Konate, which could make adding him to the mix an attractive prospect from a stylistic standpoint.
Matches (starts)
2 (2)
Touches*
90.5
Accurate passes
61.5 (88%)
Key passes*
0.5
Dribbles*
1.5
Ball recoveries*
6.0
Tackles + interceptions*
3.0
Clearances*
5.5
Duels (won)*
5.0 (83%)
It might not have been against top-level opponents, but for Lucky to have won 83% of his duels across the two fixtures bespeaks his incisiveness in defensive phases. Moreover, his cameo against Palace last month saw him complete all 22 of his attempted passes while making a recovery too. Small factors, but promising nonetheless.
Slot continues to show a reluctance to give Joe Gomez a run of chances, and if Konate continues to flatter to deceive, it’s surely only a matter of time before things change there.
Could that open up an opportunity for a youngster such as Lucky? After all, he has earned Slot’s approval already this year, and Nallo’s struggles under the boss’s wing suggest that Lucky could be set for a promotion sooner rather than later.
To throw Lucky into the deep end would hardly be a propitious move, but if Slot can ease him into life among the big boys, this could add an exciting and fresh dimension to a defence crying out for support.
Read between the lines and you could surmise that Liverpool will prioritise a wide forward this summer. In this, the need for academy support at the rear is significant, and Lucky could be the shrewd solution to thread the connection between the club and the fanbase back together.
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