Virgil van Dijk headed Liverpool to a 1-0 victory at Sunderland, then underlined how vital Ibrahima Konate is for both the defence and the club’s future. The captain praised Konate’s impact and made clear a wish to see a new deal agreed before the 2025-26 season ends.
The win at the Stadium of Light ended Sunderland’s unbeaten home league record and came at a key time in the top-four race. Liverpool moved within three points of Michael Carrick’s Manchester United in fourth, taking advantage of draws for Manchester United and Chelsea to close the gap.
Konate’s current Liverpool contract, signed after a move from RB Leipzig in 2021, runs until the end of the 2025-26 campaign. Discussions over an extension have not yet produced a breakthrough, but
Van Dijk stressed how much Liverpool rely on Konate’s presence on and off the pitch.
Van Dijk highlighted their personal relationship and the slow nature of negotiations. "We are friends, we speak about everything," Van Dijk said. "It’s a process, and let’ssee what comes out of it. It’s never that easy. We saw with my situation last year, so it’s never that easy that we can just say ‘let’s get it done’. It’s a process, and let’ssee what comes out of it. "
The Netherlands international then made his stance clear. "Obviously, I want him to stay. He’s an important figure on the pitch. That’s what everyone sees, but off the pitch as well, he’s one of the leaders.He’s outstanding and, in my eyes, a world-class centre back. I can only do so much, but it’s in the club’s hands, together with his agents and himself, so let’s see what comes out of it, but I have no influence on that. There’s always hope. "
Since joining Liverpool, Konate has made 165 appearances in all competitions and helped secure four major trophies, including last season’s Premier League title. In the top-flight, Konate has won 325 aerial duels, second only to Van Dijk’s 604, underlining how central their partnership is to Liverpool’s defensive structure.
Key numbers from their Liverpool careers and at Sunderland are shown below.
should display Konate’s 165 Liverpool appearances, four major honours and 325 aerial duels, alongside Van Dijk’s aerial total of 604. It should also show Van Dijk’s Sunderland goal, eight aerial duels won, 13 clearances, plus Konate’s two tackles, with Alexis Mac Allister leading that game on five tackles.
Against Sunderland, Van Dijk not only scored in the 61st minute but also delivered a dominant defensive display. Van Dijk led Liverpool for aerial duels won with eight and clearances with 13, while only Alexis Mac Allister, with five, attempted more tackles than Konate’s two in Arne Slot’s organised back line.
That level of control in defence helped secure what Van Dijk called a near-complete performance. Liverpool’s display was measured against tough circumstances, with the squad stretched and Wataru Endo now sidelined. Van Dijk admitted concern about squad depth, stressing the need for every player to be available for the run-in.
Van Dijk also addressed the wider Champions League picture after analytics gave Liverpool a 33.6% chance of finishing in the top four. "If you look at the teams around us, some of them dropped points. I think we’re going to play most of them, so we definitely need some perfection," Van Dijk added. "[It] was pretty close to perfection, how we defended, the intensity and also the chances we generated, and maybe we should have scored, but it’s still game by game.
"Unfortunately, we’ve got Wata [Endo] out nowhopefully not too long, but it could be. We’re very thin at the moment. We need everyone available, but it’s a combination of being ready, physically and mentally. For example, last game losing in that way at home, and you have to be strong to come back from that. That’s why I’m proud of the guys today and the shift they put in. It’s an important three points. "
Van Dijk’s remarks on Konate’s situation and the Sunderland win were later highlighted by Liverpool’s official account. The club shared the decisive moment and reaction from the Stadium of Light through social media, underlining the importance of the defensive partnership in the result.#SUNLIVpic.twitter.com/ZPJ324jfrFLiverpool FC (@LFC) February 12, 2026
As Liverpool chase a return to the Champions League, Van Dijk’s leadership and Konate’s future have become linked themes. The Sunderland result boosted their top-four hopes, while the captain’s public backing underlined how strongly the dressing room values Konate’s role in Liverpool’s defensive stability.
