Officials inside Real Madrid are reported to be at odds over a move for Liverpool centre back Ibrahima Konaté next summer.
Konaté is approaching the final six months of his contract and it was recently revealed that talks over an extension are nowhere close to a resolution, with the France international’s status as an impending free agent catching the eye of Madrid.
With Arsenal’s William Saliba removed from the wish list after agreeing a new contract, Madrid appeared to be focused on landing Konaté next summer. But ESPN state things are not so cut and dry.
While some at Madrid believe signing Konaté on a free transfer next summer should be a no-brainer, there are others who do not share the same stance and are yet to give their approval to a move for the France international.
Those responsible for such decisions all agreed that signing Trent Alexander-Arnold for free was the right call, but those negotiations remain ongoing over Konaté, who is free to hold talks with clubs overseas as early as January.
Liverpool Linked With Real Madrid Target Dayot Upamecano
Madrid are drawing up a list of potential alternatives to Konaté, one of whom is his former RB Leipzig teammate Dayot Upamecano. Both players are available on free transfers at the end of the season.
If Madrid do decide to move for Upamecano, BILD predict a battle with Liverpool as the Reds are named as suitors of the 26-year-old as they prepare to replace Konaté.
It is even suggested that Bayern could target Konaté as their own replacement for Upamecano, whose hypothetical switch to Liverpool could leave Madrid without either player ahead of a transfer window which could bring about farewells for both David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger as they approach the end of their respective contracts.
22-year-old Castello Lukeba, who joined Leipzig in the summer of 2023, is named as another potential option for Madrid, albeit a significantly more expensive one.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ibrahima Konate ‘Dividing’ Real Madrid, Liverpool Put Rival Target on ’List’.
