“It will be interesting to see what happens” – Kevin Phillips claims rise of Liverpool star could force teammate into Anfield exit 

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate is off to a promising start to life in the Premier League, catching the eye of many with his brilliant displays. Former Sunderland striker Kevin Philipps believes the rise of the Frenchman could force Joe Gomez to part ways with the club.

Konate partnered Virgil van Dijk in Liverpool's last three Champions League games against Inter Milan, Porto and AC Milan. The former RB Leipzig centre-back played a key role against Inter in midweek as the Reds recorded a clean sheet in the Round of 16 first-leg clash.

Phillips has fired a warning to Gomez that Konate is well-poised to displace him at the heart of Liverpool's defence.

"Gomez leaving looks to be a distinct possibility now," he told Football Insider. "It's amazing how things have played out. You could not see the partnership of Gomez and Van Dijk being broken a couple of years ago. It just shows you, though, if you are not there, performing week in, week out you will be replaced.

Phillips believes Konate's impressive outing in the Champions League on Wednesday is a sign that he could form a formidable partnership with Van Dijk at the heart of the Reds' defence. If that happens, Gomez could be forced to leave in search of playing time elsewhere, said the former Sunderland forward.

"Konate is an exceptional young centre-back," Phillips continued. "He took his chance the other night. He will form a formidable partnership alongside Van Dijk for years to come. Gomez will want to play football because as we know, he has a lot of quality. In search of that, I think, he'll be forced to move elsewhere in the summer. It will be interesting to see what happens."

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What's next for Liverpool?

The Frenchman played for the Reds in the Champions League on Wednesday.

After recording an impressive 2-0 victory in their Champions League clash at Inter Milan, the Reds will return to Premier League action this weekend. They will face Norwich City at Anfield on Saturday.

They'll then take on Leeds United in the league on Wednesday before locking horns with Chelsea in the EFL Cup final on February 27.