Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has so far rejected all of the contract offers keeping him at Anfield beyond next summer, as Real Madrid look to pounce. Do they have a chance of retaining him?
Liverpool news: Could Ibrahima Konate leave in 2026? - BBC Sport
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Fresh stories have surfaced this week surrounding Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract next summer, and can sign with any club, including Real Madrid, in just four months’ time. Los Blancos have been heavily linked with the French centre-back, and increasingly, it feels like deja vu from this time last year, as the gaze from the Santiago Bernabeu cast its eye over Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Konate was first mentioned as a Real Madrid target back in January, at the height speculation over the future of Alexander-Arnold. By March, not only was Konate being spoken about as a realistic option for Los Blancos alongside Dean Huijsen, but the first warning signs were there when a contract offer was rejected by Konate.
Fast forwarding, this weekKonate reportedly received a fourth proposal from Liverpool, just days after the defender himself had joked about Kylian Mbappe trying to recruit him on international duty. Reds familiar with last year’s tale may remember talk of Jude Bellingham providing detailed accounts of what life in the Spanish capital was like for the man that Konate used to cover for on the right side. It’s safe to say that the game is not only on, but approaching it’s most crucial phase.
Do Liverpool have any chance of retaining Konate?
There are a couple of flashpoints that could swing things back in Liverpool’s favour. That said, the most likely situation is that they do not present any issues, starting with William Saliba. The Arsenal defender is one of the few defenders that Real Madrid would prefer to sign ahead of Konate; a couple of years younger, and regarded as at the very top of the game after snuffing out Kylian Mbappe in their Champions League quarter-final earlier this month. He seems poised to sign a new deal, but were that to collapse, it could give Los Blancos a decision to make if he made to the last year of his contract next summer.
Perhaps Liverpool’s greatest hope of keeping Konate comes down to numbers. Real Madrid are yet to make a formal proposal to the France international, and there is a chance that if the gap is big enough, he might decide to remain in the Premier League. The assumption is that he would earn more money at Anfield anyway, and Real Madrid will likely offer him a salary between €8m and €12m per year, but everyone has a tipping point.
Los Blancos can offer him a sunnier climate, a dressing room full of compatriots and a strong guarantee of consistent trophy challenges, as well as a change of scenery after five years at Anfield. Saudi Arabian football is evidence that there is an offer which outweighs that, but naturally every person has different priorities, and Liverpool won’t be offering similar fortunes.
Finally, there is a slim chance that Real Madrid don’t need him. Los Blancos will consider Konate simply good business on a free. If, and it is a significant if, Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao Raul Asencio and even youngster Joan Martinez can convince Real Madrid that Konate would be an unnecessary signing, then they might pull back. As things stand, Konate slots in right next to Dean Huijsen as first-choice though.
What is the latest news from Real Madrid?
Real Madrid are enormously confident of getting a deal for Konate over the line, and on Monday night, themost reliable journalist related to the Santiago Bernabeu ran a story on Konate with the headline ‘History repeats itself’. The fact is that Real Madrid have signed four established stars at the end of their contracts in the last four years (David Alaba, Rudiger, Mbappe and Alexander-Arnold), and in each case, have got their man.
The only player they have pursued without success in this scenario was Alphonso Davies last year. In the Spanish capital, the feeling is that Bayern Munich paid over the odds to hold onto Davies, to the extent where their offer was significantly higher than the one on the table from Florentino Perez. In said article, they say there are no signs of Konate going a similar way thus far.
Verdict: Konate goes to Real Madrid - 80%
Liverpool have plenty to offer any player, but having been there for half a decade, Real Madrid now have more. For the reasons outlined above, what their offer may lack in the bank, might be more lucrative on and off the pitch for Konate. Unless he is especially rooted on Merseyside, earning much better money and Arne Slot convinces him that he has more chance of winning Champions Leagues, then the logical conclusion is that he goes to the Bernabeu. Alexander-Arnold’s case is instructive in that regard, as he still ended up at Real Madrid. Davies was a one in five case so far, and you would have to expect them to get the deal over the line.