Ibrahima Konate has laughed off criticism of his recent performances for Liverpool, telling his detractors that “some of you forget too quick.”It was a slow start to the season for Konate, who struggled in the victories over Bournemouth and Newcastle before a roaring return against Arsenal.His early displays led to criticism from both supporters and high-profile pundits alike, with Jamie Carragher describing the centre-back as being “all over the place” in the dramatic late win at Newcastle.The situation has been magnified by Konate’s ongoing contract talks, with the Frenchman yet to commit to Liverpool beyond his current deal.Konate is attracting interest from Real Madrid, who would be eager to sign him on a free transfer when his terms are up next summer, but he is yet to rule out extending his stay at Anfield.That made his response to a post on Instagram – suggesting fans would be happy to see him leave if he kept up that shaky form – particularly telling.“The problem is some of you forget too quick…only after two games,” Konate wrote, accompanied by two laughing emojis.Konate also replied to a video on X, with journalist David Lynch arguing that the contract situation should not “cloud just how good a player he is,” with a ‘thank you’ gif.It could be argued that Konate should not be allowing those opinions to affect him – certainly from within the echo chamber of social media.But it shows the 26-year-old’s dedication to the cause despite doubts over his future on Merseyside.Liverpool clearly have plans in place for if their No. 5 does depart in the summer, with interest in Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi surely no coincidence.Guehi was expected to join the champions in a deal worth £35 million on deadline day, only for Palace to pull the plug at the last minute, but remains likely to make the switch next year.However that does not confirm Liverpool’s intention to part ways with Konate, particularly as he is a natural right-sided centre-back and Guehi is more comfortable on the left.The ideal scenario would be to retain Konate’s services beyond the end of the season while also bringing in Guehi, who could arguably serve as long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk.Joe Gomez attracted interest from Palace, AC Milan and Brighton at the end of the transfer window and it appeared that both player and club would have been open to a deal had Guehi arrived.Perhaps Liverpool’s plan would be for Van Dijk, Konate, Guehi and Giovanni Leoni to be Arne Slot‘s centre-backs for 2026/27 – as, despite that early criticism, it cannot be emphasised enough how important it would be to tie Konate down to a new deal.