Real Madrid, which has formalized the signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold (27), is targeting another Premier League champion player from Liverpool.
According to Britain's 'Talk Sport,' on the 16th (Korean time), citing Spain's 'Marca,' Real Madrid is paying attention to the signing of center-back Ibrahima Konaté (26), who rejected Liverpool's contract extension offer.
Konaté, who was signed from Leipzig in the summer of 2021, is under contract until the summer of 2026. At that time, manager Jürgen Klopp actively worked to bring in Konaté.
Konaté played a total of 42 matches, including 31 league matches in the 2024-2025 season, scoring 2 goals and providing 2 assists. Most notably, while responsible for Liverpool's defense alongside Virgil van Dijk, he contributed to Liverpool's Premier League victory by finishing second in goals conceded (41), behind Arsenal (69 goals scored and 34 conceded).
This summer is similar to the situation with Alexander-Arnold. Real signed Arnold, whose contract expires this summer, at a low price. As a free agent, Liverpool did not receive a transfer fee for Arnold.
Instead, Real paid £10 million (approximately 18.5 billion won) as compensation for signing Arnold. This was a measure to ensure Arnold's participation in the FIFA Club World Cup, which began in the U.S. on the 15th.
Real is once again targeting the expiration date of Konaté's contract. Following the news that Konaté rejected Liverpool's offer, it appears Real's plans are progressing as intended.
If Real signs Konaté, he is likely to pair with Dutch defender Dean Huijsen (20), who was acquired this summer, to form a center-back duo. Of course, Real is also monitoring Miles Lewis-Skelly (19, Arsenal) and Cristian Mosquera (21, Valencia) in addition to Konaté.
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