Liverpool manager Arne Slot applauds the fans (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Real Madrid could be ready to try a move to sign Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate this summer after he rejected a new contract proposal from the Reds.
The France international has been a key player for Liverpool since joining the club back in 2021, but sources with close ties to the agents industry have informed CaughtOffside that his future is now in serious doubt.
Sources with a close understanding of Liverpool’s wage structure have also revealed to us that Konate’s wage demands look to be a problem with a new deal.
Konate wants a guaranteed weekly wage of £200,000, with the 26-year-old apparently not satisfied with Liverpool’s current proposal, which puts a lot more emphasis on performance-related bonuses.
Ibrahima Konate being eyed by Real Madrid and PSG
Konate’s situation has elite clubs on alert, most notably Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, sources confirmed to CaughtOffside.
LFC don’t want to sell, but may realistically have to consider offers this summer due to Konate being in the final year of his deal.
The Merseyside giants would want around £40m for the former RB Leipzig man, but one imagines they might have to settle for less than that.
One source tipped Real Madrid to “accelerate” their efforts to sign Konate on the cheap this summer, but not for more than £25m.
Can Liverpool keep hold of Konate?
Liverpool recently lost Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, so they won’t want to see another big name swapping Anfield for the Bernabeu again so soon.
The Premier League champions did well to tie Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk down to new deals, and Konate is another hugely important part of Arne Slot’s squad.
Konate may have to lower his demands, though, but perhaps he’s unlikely to do so if he’s aware of the likes of Real Madrid and PSG lurking for his signature.
Liverpool could perhaps replace Konate with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, with the Telegraph recently linking the England international as a defensive target for the Reds.
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