Marca newspaper revealed that Real Madrid’s management is considering attempting to sign Liverpool star Ibrahima Konate immediately this summer, rather than waiting until his contract expires in the summer of 2026 and signing him for free.
Disastrous performances by Raúl Asensio and Antonio Rüdiger against Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semi-finals have prompted Real Madrid officials to believe they need a new defender to join Xabi Alonso’s defensive line alongside Dejan Huijsen.
According to the latest report, Real Madrid may submit an offer to Liverpool in the coming days for Konate, who has closed the door on renewing his contract with the Reds and intends to leave for a new club in 2026.
This news comes amid other reports from French newspapers confirming that the center-back wants to join Real Madrid specifically, and that the club has a quasi-agreement with the player’s entourage to complete the deal, as happened with Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer.
However, after the Paris Saint-Germain disaster, Real Madrid is considering a quick move. Florentino Perez’s administration is reportedly willing to offer Liverpool €25 million to sell Konate.
According to Marca, this amount is significantly lower than what Liverpool is willing to sell Konate this summer. Although the English club’s management will lose their young player for free, they do not intend to let him go cheaply this summer and are demanding at least €50 million to accept an immediate sale.
Real Madrid’s position on paying €50 million for Konate this summer is unknown, and Perez’s administration will likely prefer to wait. However, with pressure from Alonso, this position may change, especially given the impact of injuries to Antonio Rudiger and Éder Militao, as well as the coach’s lack of confidence in Asensio’s quality, making it inevitable to move to sign a new defender this summer.
