Real Madrid are often linked to [Liverpool](https://walkon.com/)‘s best players, and they finally captured one of them last summer transfer window, bagging right back Trent Alexander-Arnold on what was effectively a free agent move, sans a small fee to have him for the Club World Cup (which was basically free money for the Reds).
In 2026, Real Madrid are eyeing a similar free agent ploy for center back Ibrahima Konate, though Liverpool fans don’t exactly seem to be too bothered by that move, as they are more interested in signing Marc Guehi to replace Konate.
Guehi is also on the Madrid radar, but everyone expects him to go to Liverpool, especially after a move to Anfield only fell apart because Oliver Glasner stepped in on deadline day to avoid losing such an important player.
Real Madrid don’t just have eyes on Konate, though. It seems like they want to steal away an even bigger fish from Liverpool, even if their idea seems very unrealistic at this point.
According to a report from Madrid based outlet Diario AS, Los Blancos, as well as Liverpool’s long time Premier League title rivals Manchester City, are interested in signing away star midfield Dominik Szoboszlai.
Funny enough, Real Madrid were tracking Szoboszlai back when he was a prospect, even before he landed at RB Leipzig. But they never really found him as a fit for what they were doing.
Since joining Liverpool from Leipzig, Szoboszlai went from one of the continent’s best pure playmakers into a legitimate star all around midfielder, and this season in 2025/26, he has been their most important player, especially from that all around perspective.
Many view Szoboszlai as a potential captain after Virgil van Dijk eventually goes, and he’s fully expected to sign an extension. Obviously, Real Madrid, Man City, and any other elite club would love to have him, but there’s no way the Hungarian nightmare is going anywhere.
Joe Soriano is the editor of _The Trivela Effect_ and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like _The Real Champs_ (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage _NFL Spin Zone_ and _Daily DDT,_ covering the NFL and pro wrestling.