Florentino Perez has told Xabi Alonso how much Real Madrid are willing to pay for Ibrahima Konate, according to the Spanish media, while a reliable Liverpool journalist reveals whether Arne Slot could really sell the star defender.
Madrid and Liverpool are two of the biggest clubs in the world, but they had contrasting fortunes in the 2024/25 campaign. While Los Blancos could not win LaLiga, the Champions League or the Copa del Rey under Carlo Ancelotti, Slot led Liverpool to the Premier League title in his first season in charge of the Reds.
Despite their success last season, Liverpool have been busy in the summer transfer window, signing Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, with Milos Kerkez also set to move to Anfield from Bournemouth.
Madrid have been active, too, following the arrival of Alonso as the manager as a replacement for Ancelotti.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has left Liverpool for Madrid, while Dean Huijsen has joined from Bournemouth.
There is also a deal in place for Franco Mastantuono to link up with Madrid from River Plate in August.
Despite the arrival of Huijsen, Madrid, who are playing at the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup, are keen on signing another defender, with Liverpool star Konate firmly on their radar.
Konate is out of contract at Liverpool in the summer of 2026, and ideally, Madrid would like to snap him up on a free transfer then.
Defensa Central has reported that Madrid could bring forward their plans for Konate this summer.
The Real Madrid-centric website has claimed that Madrid president Florentino Perez has promised Alonso that if Liverpool sell the France international central defender for £26million, then he ‘will come’ to the Santiago Bernabeu.
While noting in the headline that Perez has announced ‘a surprise signing for Xabi Alonso’, the report in Defensa Central has revealed this message from the Madrid supremo to his new manager: ‘If they put him on the market this summer and sell him for €30 million (£26m, $34.5m), he will come’.
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What Liverpool media are saying about Ibrahima Konate
While the Real Madrid-centric media believe that Konate could become available this summer, the Liverpool press do not think that it will happen.
The Liverpool Echo journalist Paul Gorst has reported that the Premier League champions plan to keep the Frenchman for next season.
Gorst told The Redmen TV: “Konate, I still expect, I don’t think he’ll leave this summer, I think Liverpool will look to take a little bit of a Van Dijk, Salah chance on tying him down during the season.
“He seems very happy and settled at Liverpool. He was speaking after the [Crystal] Palace game to us, which was his 25th or 26th birthday, and he was saying that talks had stepped up the previous week.
“He seemed quite positive over the developments there, so you know, let’s wait and see what happens.
“I can’t see him being sold now.”
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