Liverpool Duo ‘Look Like They’ve Had a Row’

Liverpool may have to break up their defensive partnership of Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, who have seen their recent performances called into question.

With around a quarter of football in the 2025/26 season having now been played, Liverpool have very much endured a campaign of two halves in that time. Not including the Community Shield, the Reds opened proceedings with a seven-game win streak across all competitions.

Despite their form, however, Liverpool never looked overly convincing during this run, netting a string of late goals to continue their winning streak. Ultimately, their run came to an end against Crystal Palace, a defeat that sparked a contrasting sequence of results.

Following their clash away at Brentford, Liverpool have lost four successive Premier League games. Their 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt is the only victory the Reds have picked up in their last six matches across all competitions, with pressure slowly rising on manager Arne Slot.

Much has been said about Liverpool’s summer transfer business. The club spent heavily in preparing for their title defence. Big money signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, however, are yet to find form at Anfield, with many wondering if the money would have been better spent on defensive reinforcements.

Pardew Calls For Defensive Switch-Up

Though he has been out of work since 2023, Alan Pardew has spent a quarter of a century as a manager in football, having most memorably worked with Newcastle United and Crystal Palace across the 2010s.

As per the Daily Express, Pardew deduced, following the 3-2 defeat against Brentford, that Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate “looked like they’ve had a row.” The pair have, generally, been a remarkable pairing for Liverpool, though neither has had a particularly convincing start to the season by their standards.

Giovanni Leoni, Liverpool’s only addition to their centre-back ranks, suffered a long-term injury on his debut. The long-tenured Joe Gomez has faced struggles for consistent fitness in recent years. With more adequate depth, further rotating one of van Dijk or Konate may have benefitted both the players and the team.

It has been widely reported that Konate’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, with Real Madrid having long been rumoured to hold an interest in the French international. Perhaps it would be best for Liverpool if they allowed Konate to depart and look to sign another centre-back to play alongside van Dijk.

Though there may be interest from elsewhere in Marc Guehi, the Crystal Palace captain remains the obvious solution for Liverpool. By signing Guehi, and further depth beyond the England international, the Reds may give their backline the refreshment that it desperately needs.