Ibrahima Konate has his heart set on a move to Real Madrid if he leaves Liverpool at the end of his contract, reports suggest.
The centre-back has spent the past four years at Anfield since completing a £35 million move from RB Leipzig. Konate has won four major trophies at the Reds and enjoyed his best season in 2024-25.
The Frenchman was Virgil van Dijk’s regular defensive partner as Arne Slot’s side comfortably won the Premier League title. Konate made a total of 42 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals.
However, he is in the final year of his current contract and there has yet to be a breakthrough over fresh terms. Konate is able to depart Liverpool for nothing next summer and will not be short of interest.
Konate ‘plans’
And according to Sacha Tavolieri of Sky Sports Switzerland, Konate will look to complete a move to Madrid if he does not come to an agreement with Liverpool. It’s claimed that the 26-year-old has ‘made it clear through various intermediaries’ that he’s willing to make the move to the Spanish giants to ‘continue his sporting progress’. Earlier this summer, the Reds lost Trent Alexander-Arnold to Los Blancos after he turned down a new contract.
Madrid’s participation in the newly expanded Club World Cup meant that Liverpool landed around £10 million so Alexander-Arnold could be released from his Anfield deal early rather than on a free, but the figure was still well below the right-back’s value.
Clubs from Saudi Arabia have reportedly displayed an interest in Konate and, while his Muslim faith could be a reason why he may make that move at some point, he’s not yet ready to leave Europe given he’s in the prime years of his career. And while a switch to Paris Saint-Germain has been mooted in other outlets, the recent report says that Konate only wants to join Real.
It’s said that Konate remains relaxed about his situation ahead of Liverpool’s return to pre-season training.
There were suggestions last month that Konate was left disappointed by the Reds’ contract offer and his representatives were pushing for a higher basic wage rather than a deal based on performance incentives.
What’s been said
Speaking at the end of last season, Konate said on his future: “I know I have a lot of objectives with this club: to become a leader, to win everything. I am very happy here to be fair.
“This is another conversation with the club and my agent, we will see what will happen in the next few weeks or I don’t know when but we will see, let me say that. Progressing? Not really – but my agent met the club last week but I don’t know what will happen. I cannot say what my agent said to me but yeah, we will see what will happen.”