Ibrahima Konate has reportedly informed his teammates at Liverpool that he intends to join Real Madrid on a free transfer when his contract expires next summer. The France international, who has just over a year left on his current deal, is said to have made his desire clear to the Spanish giants, according to Sky Sports Switzerland.
The 26-year-old centre-back is the latest player linked with a Bosman move to the Bernabeu, following in the footsteps of Kylian Mbappe, David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger. Real Madrid previously signed Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool after he ran down his contract, although they paid a fee to secure his early release for the Club World Cup.
Talks between Konate and Liverpool over a new contract have reportedly stalled, with no progress made in recent discussions. Reports from last month suggested Konate was unhappy with the Reds' offer, which was heavily weighted towards performance-related bonuses rather than a higher basic wage.
Konate addressed speculation about his future after Liverpool's final Premier League match of the season, dismissing reports that he had made demands. 'Everything you saw on social media is completely fake,' he said. 'I didn't even ask for something from the club. They made me an offer, and I replied with something, that is it.' He added that he is happy at Liverpool but that his agent would handle the situation.
The defender joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in 2021 and has made over 80 appearances for the club, helping them win the Premier League and FA Cup. With his current deal set to expire, Liverpool face the prospect of losing another key player on a free transfer.
