Ibrahima Konate certain to join Real Madrid after contract agreement found
Liverpool are looking more and more likely to be set to lose Ibrahima Konate at the end of his contract next summer.
Konate is yet to sign a new contract at Liverpool, despite an agreement between the parties reportedly having been found.
The defender has been key in Arne Slot’s side this season, and would undoubtedly be a huge loss if he is to leave.
Real Madrid are confident of signing Konate, with decision-makers at the Bernabeu reportedly close to convincing the 26-year-old to join Trent Alexander-Arnold in Spain.
Liverpool hoped to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace in the summer and had agreed a deal, but the move collapsed on transfer deadline day.
Real Madrid to make Ibrahima Konate priority
Giovanni Leoni tore his anterior cruciate ligament on his Liverpool debut on Tuesday, in a cruel blow for the 18-year-old.
The centre-back is now set to be missing for the entirety of the season, leaving Slot with just three senior centre-backs.
Liverpool had planned to sign Guehi on a free transfer at the end of the season, but those plans may now have to be brought forward.
And the Reds have suffered a further blow to their centre-back plans, with David Ornstein reporting on Thursday that William Saliba has agreed a new contract at Arsenal.
The Frenchman was also thought to be a target of Real Madrid, with the defender, who was set to be a free agent in 2027, potentially above Konate in their target list.
But with Saliba set to stay at Arsenal, decision-makers at the Bernabeu are likely to place all of their eggs in the basket of a move for Konate next summer.
Summer failures costing Liverpool
Liverpool now find themselves in a tricky situation at the back, and it is hard to blame anyone but themselves.
The Guehi deal should have been prioritised, but decision-makers at Anfield elected to wait until the final moments to pursue the cheapest deal possible.
It can only be assumed that Liverpool have left over hopes that they can convince Konate – if not, the decision to keep him at the club is bizarre.
| Liverpool – centre-backs | Status |
| Virgil van Dijk | Fit |
| Ibrahima Konate | Fit |
| Giovanni Leoni | Injured |
| Joe Gomez | Fit |
The Reds were well aware of the defender’s contract situation, and would have been wise to tell him: ‘Sign, or we will sell you this summer.’
Instead, they now face a situation in which Konate is almost certain to leave for free, and two new centre-backs must arrive at Anfield next summer.
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