From January 1, Ibrahima Konate has been free to agree a pre-contract with clubs outside England.
Ibrahima Konate is approaching the final year of his Liverpool contract, which expires in June 2026, and has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. Talks over a new deal are ongoing, but no breakthrough has been reached.
From January 1, the France international has been free to agree a pre-contract with clubs outside England, fuelling speculation over interest from the Spanish giants.
Virgil van Dijk has described Konate as “outstanding” and made clear he wants his defensive partner to remain at Anfield. Van Dijk said: “Obviously I want him to stay. He’s an important figure on the pitch. That’s what everyone sees but off the pitch as well, he’s one of the leaders. He’s outstanding and in my eyes, a world-class centre-back.”
Head coach Arne Slot has also confirmed discussions are continuing with the player’s representatives. Slot said: “We are in talks with him so that tells you what we want.
“It’s clear we would like him to stay but negotiations are ongoing so let’s see where that ends. We wouldn’t be in negotiations if we didn’t want him to stay.”
Liverpool have seen several senior players leave on free transfers in recent years, including James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, while Gini Wijnaldum also departed in similar circumstances.
Trent Alexander-Arnold would have followed suit had Real Madrid not paid a reported £10m to secure his early release ahead of the Club World Cup.
Liverpool have agreed to sign Jeremy Jacquet, who will move to Anfield this summer, while Giovanni Leoni, sidelined with an ACL injury on his debut, is expected to be available for pre-season in July.
Real Madrid are keen to reinforce their defence this summer and have also been linked with Liverpool target and Borussia Dortmund centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck.
According to BILD, Ibrahima Konate is now Real Madrid’s number one defensive target. The Frenchman is said to have mentally moved on from his time in England.
Konate’s free-agent status gives him a clear advantage over Schlotterbeck. While Schlotterbeck has a market value of €55million and would likely cost around €40million due to his contract running until 2027, Konate could join Real Madrid without a transfer fee, making him the cheaper option.
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