Real Madrid have “pulled out” of signing Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate for one specific reason, according to a new claim from former scout Mick Brown.
The Frenchman has been one of the Reds’ poorest performers this season, too often looking like an error-figure with a move to Madrid on his mind.
It has now been reported that the Spanish giants have cooled their interest in Konate, though, potentially turning to other centre-back options instead at the end of the season.
Now, speaking to Football Insider, Brown claimed that concerns over Konate’s inconsistency are the reason they have “pulled out” of signing him, with too many bad performances thrown in from him.
“There have been concerns about Konate for a while,” Brown said.
“He’s got far too many mistakes in him and that’s been exacerbated by his performances so far this season when Liverpool have been struggling as well.
“The good side of him is very good, but there is that weakness there where he’s prone to throwing a game away by letting something slip. That’s why Liverpool have had doubts, and it’s the reason Real Madrid have pulled out.”
A defining six months for Konate at Liverpool
This is a fair stance for Madrid to take, especially judging by this season, with Konate’s form far too hit-and-miss to justify such a big move in 2026, and a contract extension at Liverpool for that matter.
On his day, the 26-year-old is one of the best defenders in the Premier League, with pundit Micah Richards showing his admriation for him last year:
“He’s got all the tools to be a top class centre half. It’s always been Van Dijk and another, Quansah started the season and Arne Slot brought Konate on at half-time. His positioning has got a lot better, you see the size of him, the frame of him. In the air he’s really good.”
That said, Konate, is also capable of being a liability too often, and if he wants to be the future leader of Liverpool’s defence and not leave for free next summer, he needs to show Arne Slot that he can be dependable every week, rather than sporadically.