“If they want him, they can come and get him,” Slot reportedly snapped, frustrated by a defender who keeps causing headaches the team could easily avoid

Liverpool plunged into a crisis following a devastating 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield, a result that ended Forest’s 55-year winless streak at the venue and exposed significant flaws in Arne Slot’s team. Goals from Murillo (33’), Nicolò Savona (46’), and Morgan Gibbs-White (78’) inflicted the joint-heaviest home Premier League loss on the Reds, leaving them reeling and sitting 11th in the table, eight points adrift of the leaders. The crushing loss prompted a furious reaction from Manager Slot, who abandoned his typically reserved demeanor in the post-match press conference.

The focal point of Slot’s unprecedented outburst was defender Ibrahima Konaté, who endured a catalogue of errors and was substituted at the hour mark. Frustrated by what he termed “another avoidable mistake at the back,” Slot specifically criticized Konaté for positional lapses leading directly to Forest’s goals. The manager’s ire stemmed from a recurring theme of defensive mistakes that he believes are easily preventable, causing the team to hemorrhage goals from “nothing.”

The most striking moment of the press conference came when Slot publicly and sarcastically addressed the persistent transfer rumours linking Konaté with Real Madrid. The manager declared, “If they want him, they can come and get him right now. We’re not carrying dead weight in a title race.” This explosive statement transformed the long-standing transfer whisper surrounding the French defender into a public ultimatum, suggesting the club would be willing to offload the player due to his inconsistent performance levels.

Konaté’s recent struggles come despite his established talent and strong defensive metrics when fully fit—notably ranking fourth in the league for aerial duel success this season. However, injuries have restricted him to only 22 starts in the current campaign, and a stalled contract extension, with his current deal expiring in June 2026, has already complicated his future. Slot’s comments risk fracturing a squad already struggling with poor results and fitness issues.

In summary, the 3-0 humbling by Nottingham Forest proved to be a pivotal moment for Liverpool’s season, triggering an aggressive response from Arne Slot that placed immense scrutiny on Ibrahima Konaté. The manager’s dramatic challenge to Real Madrid to acquire the defender underscores the deep frustration over the team’s defensive frailties and signals a decisive shift in how the club may address its personnel issues heading into the remainder of a challenging season.