According to a report by Marca, Real Madrid are ready to follow in their own footsteps to persuade another Liverpool star to run down his contract and arrive on a Bosman deal in 2026. The latest name on their list is that of defender Ibrahima Konate, who has a contract expiring in a year at Anfield.
Real Madrid have excelled in their strategy of persuading some of the top footballing talents to join them on a free transfer. There is a case to evaluate in these deals, as the Spanish giants have persuaded many top players in the recent past to run down their contracts including the likes of David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger and Kylian Mbappe.
While Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to join Real Madrid in a Bosman move during the summer, the Spanish giants are already angling for a similar move for his Liverpool teammate Ibrahima Konate. The French defender’s current deal expires in 2026, and the report states the Spanish giants could work towards persuading him to run down his deal at Anfield ahead of a Bosman move next year having watched the defender regularly.
Liverpool will not like the idea one bit, as they will end up losing another top-rated talent for nothing. They are angling for a new contract for Konate among several of their other key stars. However, Real Madrid’s efforts could have a big effect on the France international in these negotiations.
Not only does the player have power in negotiations, he could potentially stay for one more season before leaving in the way Alexander-Arnold did. For Real Madrid, this would be a dream scenario either to get the Liverpool mainstay on a free next summer or they can even push to sign him on a cut-price deal this summer which will test the Merseysiders in their resolve over the defender.
Real Madrid have faced defensive issues this season, and they have played a part in them crash out of the Champions League as well as lagging in La Liga title race. Florentino Perez is already thinking about replacing Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, but he would also target new defenders in the summer, as Arsenal are already concerned about their interest in William Saliba.
Other names like Cristian Romero and Dean Huijsen are on their list, while RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba is another target for Real Madrid. Regardless of who they bring this summer, they will pursue Ibrahima Konate to arrive for a free next summer, as this is a deal seen favourably by those in charge of the Spanish side’s transfer activities.
