Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté is still to sign an Anfield contract extension despite being offered a new deal.

The French defender has 18 months left on his current terms, talks having opened earlier this season, and he confirmed on Monday that a proposal has been made by the club.

Liverpool want to avoid a repeat of the situation with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, all of whom are months away from seeing their contracts expire.

The Merseyside club hopes Konaté, 25, will commit his peak years to Anfield.

Asked if he has been made an offer, Konaté said: “Yes.”

Pressed on whether he is close to signing, he replied: “This is another conversation. I spoke with the club. I think I am really focussed on what happens now. We will see what will happen.”

Konaté and Van Dijk, 33, have formed a formidable partnership this season, the younger partner happy to declare it the best centre-half pairing in Europe.

“This season, yeah, I think so,” Konaté said.

“Everyone knows Virgil and everyone knows his quality, for me he is the best, no one is better than him in this position. For me I learn a lot from him and other players like [Joël] Matip, Joe Gomez and other players who don’t play in my position. I never said it to him but in interviews I’ve always said I just want to be better than him one day and that is why I work hard to reach this level one day. He would be proud, I think.”

Konaté also revealed he has been playing through the pain barrier to help Liverpool through what could have been a defensive crisis after Gomez’s recent hamstring issue.

He recently returned from a knee problem.

“For me, I try to come back 100 per cent but I’m not because I rushed my comeback with my knee but I have done this for my team,” said Konaté.

“I still have pain sometimes. I play with painkillers, it’s enough. I just have to think about if we play and this will go away soon.

“I was very close anyway. The plan was for me to train on, but when I saw Joe with this injury, I thought: ‘OK I have to come back really quick’ and don’t really think about my knee. The first game, for sure I felt it a little bit but the pain got better day after day, it’s fine, it’s enough for me to play.

“For sure, the physios and medical staff have done a very good job for me. I don’t know how long I spent at the club every day when I was injured and I was very happy and I thanked them with some cookies. This season, they have done a very good job with me. They never took a risk with me. It was ready. I play with a bit of pain but it is enough to play.”