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According to MARCA (via Madrid Xtra on X), Real Madrid will hope to sign Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate as a free agent next summer. The Frenchman is in the final year of his contract at Anfield and has yet to sign a new deal.
Konate is one of multiple high-profile players at Liverpool whose future at the club has been under review for the past couple of months. While the club succeeded in offering Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk new contracts, no such gesture was made towards Konate. Trent Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, failed to agree on new terms with the side, subsequently paving the way for a move to Real Madrid.
As per the aforementioned source, Los Blancos are working towards signing a free agent next summer and have identified Konate as a major target amid his contract situation.
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Should the 26-year-old fail to sign a contract extension with Arne Slot's side, the Spanish giants are prepared to make a swoop for him. In recent times, Real Madrid have succeeded in bringing in highly-rated players to the Santiago Bernabeu without paying a dime.
They recently roped in Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool in a similar style (but eventually paid €10m to get him into their squad for the Club World Cup before his contract officially expired). David Alaba (2021), Antonio Rudiger (2022), and Kylian Mbappe (2024) also joined Madrid on free transfers from Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively, in the past couple of seasons.
Konate was a vital player in Slot's Premier League-winning team this season, contributing two goals and two assists in 45 games across competitions. The former RB Leipzig man has formed a formidable centre-back partnership with Van Dijk at the club, amassing 132 appearances in which he has scored five goals and provided four assists.
Benfica president says club have not reached agreement with Real Madrid for defender
Benfica president Rui Costa has stated that the Portuguese side have not reached an agreement with Real Madrid for Alvaro Carreras. The 22-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
Although reports claim that Carreras has agreed on personal terms with Los Blancos, Costa disclosed that talks between the clubs have halted.
He said (via Football Transfers):
"There were bid for the player. We didn't reach any agreement with Real Madrid. “Carreras will play in the Club World Cup, and then we’ll see what happens with the whole market. He's focused on having a good World Cup. There were offers that did not please us - not for Carreras nor for any other player. The market is at a standstill, both for departures and arrivals. We want to build a team in the Benfica way, but our focus right now needs to be on Monday’s match.”
Real Madrid have already completed the signings of defenders Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold from AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool, respectively. Argentine youngster Franco Mastantuono has also joined the club from River Plate.
