‘Attentive’ Real Madrid targeting Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate

Real Madrid have held talks about signing Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate, GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

Frenchman Konate started for Arne Slot’s side on Tuesday evening as the Reds beat Madrid 1-0 at Anfield, courtesy of a deft second-half header from Argentine Alexis Mac Allister.

After arriving from Bundesliga giants RB Leipzig in 2021 for a £36m fee, Konate has gone on to make 147 appearances for the Merseysiders, but is now entering the final year of his current Liverpool deal, with his contract set to expire in the summer window.

As things stand, the 26-year-old is set to leave the Premier League champions as a free agent at the end of the season, and transfer expert Romano has outlined that the Spaniards are holding internal discussions about securing his coveted services.

Real Madrid Hold Talks Over Konate Move

After an inconsistent start to the 2025/26 season, Konate was back to his best for Liverpool against Real Madrid, giving his potential transfer suitors a first-hand showcase of his defensive capabilities.

Konate effectively nullified the ample attacking threat of his compatriot Kylian Mbappé, limiting the Madrid striker to zero shots on target throughout the Champions League clash.

Madrid appear to be hoping to repeat a similar transfer trick which saw Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was booed on his return to Anfield, move to the Bernabeu amid the expiry of his Reds contract.

With Konate playing a pivotal role in Slot’s side’s victory over the Spanish giants, helping to secure their second consecutive clean sheet in the process, it is clear to see why Real Madrid are “attentive” to Konate’s situation. Romano told his YouTube channel:

Romano has previously informed GIVEMESPORT that Konate has been on Real Madrid’s shortlist for months following their failed attempt to sign William Saliba from Arsenal in the summer, and now it appears that their sights are set firmly on his fellow French central defender.

Last season, Konate’s formidable partnership with Virgil van Dijk in the heart of Liverpool’s backline was one of the driving factors behind their Premier League title win in Slot’s debut season in charge.

This term, however, the 25-time capped French international has been critiscised by some sections of the Anfield faithful for his downturn in form during the opening stages of the Reds’ top flight title defence.

Potentially, the uncertainty regarding his footballing future has played a factor in Konate’s early-season performances. Despite this, the defender showed on Tuesday why his potential future employers are so keen on his signature, and why his current club will be desperate to thwart their advances.