Manchester United have made a shock offer to bring Ibrahima Konate to Old Trafford, according to a report, which has also revealed the outgoing Liverpool defender’s stance on a move to Real Madrid.
Konate has announced that he will leave Liverpool this summer when his current contract with the Premier League club runs out.
Talks between Konate and Liverpool over a new deal eventually broke down, despite the defender saying in April that he was close to putting pen to paper on a new deal.
Real Madrid are back in Konate, and while El Debate’s report that Los Blancos have made an offer to the Frenchman does not come as a surprise, the shocking bit is that Manchester United are also going after the 27-year-old.
Man Utd and Liverpool are bitter rivals, and it is hard to envisage Konate swapping Anfield for Old Trafford.
However, the Spanish publication has named Man Utd among the clubs to have made ‘offers’ to Konate, who ‘prefers’ Real Madrid.
El Debate has reported about Konate: ‘He wants to leave the Premier League and play for Real Madrid.
‘Of Malian origin, Ibrahima has offers from Bayern Munich, PSG, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United, and Manchester City, but he prefers to go to Real Madrid.
‘Mourinho has made it clear that he wants him in the Real Madrid squad he envisions. Konate knows the Portuguese manager, who has coached Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham at various stages of his career.
‘The manager has a permanent residence in London. His wife and children live there. Mourinho has spoken with Ibrahima many times and told him what he thinks of him.’
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Real Madrid in talks with Ibrahima Konate – sources
Madrid will have Jose Mourinho as their manager next season and are also on the hunt for a new centre-back.
TEAMtalk can confirm that Madrid are indeed in talks with Konate over a move to Estadio Bernabeu as a free agent.
Our transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, has reported that Konate’s agents are ‘engaged in discussions’ with Real Madrid.
Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are also holding talks over a potential deal for the Frenchman.
However, we understand that Chelsea are not planning to make any offer to Konate.
While Chelsea have monitored the Frenchman closely, sources have told us that the London club, who will have Xabi Alonso as their manager from July 1, are not planning to bring him to Stamford Bridge.
As far as Man Utd are concerned, it is really difficult to envisage the Red Devils’ co-owners, INEOS, having any interest in Konate whatsoever, even as a free agent.
Harry Maguire signed a new contract with Man Utd in April, and the Red Devils will not think even for an instant that Konate would want to move to Old Trafford, given that he is just leaving Liverpool.
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