Liverpool dealt blow as Real Madrid believe they can sign Reds superstar as a free agent in 2026: Reports

Real Madrid are reportedly confident of signing Liverpool star Ibrahima Konate next summer. The French defender's contract at Anfield expires in 2026.

Los Blancos signed Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer, near the expiration of his contract. They had to pay around £10 million for him to be available for the FIFA Club World Cup. They are now looking to repeat the process and sign Konate as a free agent next summer.

As per Daily Mail, Liverpool have made multiple efforts to get the Frenchman to sign a contract extension. However, Konate and his agent have rejected them all so far. At the end of the last season, he told journalists:

"To win a trophy was just amazing. And today, to win the Premier League, I know I have a lot of objectives with this club: to become a leader, to win everything. I am very happy here."

"But I know where you want to go with this question and this is another conversation with the club and my agent, we will see what will happen in the next few weeks or I don't know when but we will see, let me say that. Is it progressing? Not really but my agent met the club last week but I don't know what will happen."

As per the aforementioned report, Real Madrid have already made contact with the Frenchman for a potential Bosman move in January 2026. This means that he can sign a pre-contract with the Spanish giants in January for a potential summer transfer.

Liverpool star Ibrahima Konate on if Kylian Mbappe is urging him to sign for Real Madrid

Ibrahima Konate met up with Kylian Mbappe during the international break this month for France. In one of the interviews, the Liverpool star was asked if the Frenchman is pushing him to join Real Madrid. He provided a sarcastic response, saying:

"Mbappe pressuring me to join Real Madrid? He calls me every two hours!"

Konate played the entire 90 minutes for France in both of their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers this month. They beat Ukraine 2-0 away and Iceland 2-1 at home. Notably, the centre-back has shared the pitch 21 times with Mbappe for France.

Meanwhile, Konate joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021. He has made 136 appearances for them and also contributed five goals and four assists, winning multiple trophies.

About the author

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 4 years. He boasts a total experience of over 7 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya's journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur's front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect's with the club's underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda 'Long-form Editor of the Month' award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric's elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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Edited by Aditya Singh