Image Credits: Imago Images
Ibrahima Konate was officially confirmed as a Real Madrid player this Thursday morning.
It brings the curtain down on a five-year spell at Anfield that will be remembered fondly at Liverpool.
Konate arrived from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021 for around £35 million and went on to make 183 appearances for the club in all competitions.
In that time he won five trophies: the Premier League, FA Cup, FA Community Shield, and the Carabao Cup twice.
The 27-year-old stablished himself as one of the most physically imposing and reliable centre-backs in the Premier League.
He departs with a win ratio of 62 percent at the club and contributed to 55 clean sheets along the way. Not a bad five years’ work.
But the bitter pill for Liverpool, however, is that with his contract expired, the club will not receive a single penny in transfer compensation.
For Konate himself, the move represents a significant financial step up. He is reportedly set to earn around €24 million gross per season at the Bernabeu, and as a free agent, he is also in line for a signing-on bonus in the region of €20 million.
Now taking to X, the former Reds defender shared his thoughts on the transfer, reposting Real Madrid’s announcement and writing “Hala Madrid”.
Hala Madrid 🤍 https://t.co/o2DIyRmOQz
— Ibrahima Konate (@IbrahimaKonate_) June 18, 2026
He also retweeted several of the club’s posts announcing his arrival. While his club future may be settled, but his World Cup standing is less clear.
Konate is part of France’s squad in the United States this summer, but he goes in as a squad player rather than a guaranteed starter.
Didier Deschamps selected William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano as his first-choice centre-back partnership for the opening group game, a 3-1 victory over Senegal, with Konate named among the substitutes.
That’s not expected to change barring any injuries to the established pair.