Richard Hughes has just missed out on Liverpool's perfect Ibrahima Konate successor

Richard Hughes has just missed out on Liverpool's perfect Ibrahima Konate successor Ibrahima Konate was the last player to exit Liverpool on a free transfer this summer. Ever since the end of the 2024-25 season, Liverpool were in talks with the centre-back and his representatives about renewing his contract. In fact, the Frenchman even claimed that they were close to an agreement at one point . However, that obviously didn't end up being the case and Liverpool were forced to let him go for nothing. And of course, from all the teams who could have signed him, it was Real Madrid who got the deal over the line. So, without Konate among their ranks, there's obviously a rather large gap for Liverpool to fill. Jeremy Jacquet has just been signed but, in the grand scheme of things, partnering someone with some experience of English football alongside Virgil van Dijk would probably end up working out much better for the Reds. Several players who tick these boxes have been linked with a Liverpool move but now, the best option of the lot has been taken away from them. Liverpool have missed out on signing Charlie Cresswell Liverpool's defence is one area of their team that desperately needs upgrading. Now that Konate has left, there are only four centre-backs among the Reds' ranks and, even their full-backs aren't really in the best shape. That's why so many defenders have already been linked with a Liverpool move this summer. Some deals feel more advanced than others with some of them even being prised away by other clubs. Charlie Cresswell is an example of this . Earlier in the summer, the Englishman was linked with a Liverpool move due to his age and his experience. The centre-back exited Leeds United in July 2024 and thought he'd try his luck in Ligue 1. Since then, he's emerged as one of Tolouse's most important defenders with his performances earning him links with Liverpool and Crystal Palace. At one point, it felt like he'd become a Liverpool player but now, thanks to an update from journalist Sacha Tavolieri, that is clearly not going to be the case. "DONE DEAL," he shared while reposting his last post on Cresswell's move to Rennes. Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets Open an account and place a qualifying bet of £10 at min odds of 1/5 (1.2) or greater. 18+New UK/ROI customers. Min £5 deposit. Bet Credits available on settlement of qualifying bets, capped at £10 stake. Min odds 1/5 (1.20). Bet Credits expire in 7 days. Excl. Cashed Out/Free Bets/Boosted odds. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org £30 FREE CLAIM NOW Charlie Cresswell would have been a perfect signing for Liverpool Even before Konate announced that he was going to exit Liverpool, the Reds were looking to sign new centre-backs. Admittedly, they were more to replace Van Dijk than anything else with Nico Schlotterbeck among the most-linked players with the Anfield outfit. However, thanks to injuries and other problems, a move for the German never worked out which is why Cresswell was mentioned as a potential option. The Englishman already knows what it takes to play in England and, since he's only 23 years old, there was plenty of time for him to develop into an even better player than he already is. As per Fotmob , throughout the entirety of his Ligue 1 season last term, Cresswell maintained an aerial duel percentage of 65 per cent which isn't too far off Van Dijk's (74.4 per cent). For a 23-year-old, the rest of Cresswell's numbers are staggering and, since he's cost Rennes under €30 million, it's clear that the Reds have massively messed up by missing out on this deal. Here's hoping that they don't live to regret it in the future.