Ibrahima Konaté ‘Very Close’ to Completing Free Transfer Away From Liverpool
Ibrahima Konaté is “very close” to signing for Real Madrid, after departing Liverpool on a free transfer.
The French defender’s future has gone on something of a rollercoaster ride over the last few weeks.
Konaté had been expected to leave Liverpool this summer as his contract wound down with little movement over a renewal. However, back in April he surprised reporters by claiming he was “close to an agreement” over extending his stay at Anfield.
As the weeks progressed, there was no official word, and Konaté ultimately announced his goodbyes on Monday with a message on social media: “I will carry Liverpool with me wherever I go... but it’s time for a new challenge and a new chapter.”
AS reports that Florentino Pérez is “very close to securing the center back’s arrival should he win the elections,” and has laid out a four-year contract offer for the 27-year-old.
There is already a verbal agreement in place between the club and player, with the deal hinging on Pérez’s re-election on June 7, per Fabrizio Romano.
Why Are Real Madrid Interested in Konate?
Konaté would be the latest high-profile free deal for Madrid. / Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto/Getty Images
The potential signing of Konaté offers a clear market opportunity for Real Madrid, who have become savvy operators at landing signings without needing to pay a club-to-club transfer fee.
David Alaba, Antonio Rüdiger and Kylian Mbappé have all been signed on free deals in recent years, while Madrid paid €10 million ($11.5 million) to expedite a deal for Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of the Club World Cup last summer, with the right back’s Liverpool contract on the verge of expiry.
Konaté would follow a similar pattern of identifying top-level talent who can be acquired for free. The France international’s age and experience means that, even if his time at Madrid didn’t work out, he would retain value for a resale.
Beyond the business strategy, there is also a clear need for center backs in Madrid’s roster.
Alaba left the club at the end of the season, while Raúl Asencio’s future remains up in the air and there has been talk that the 23-year-old could be sold this summer.
Edér Militão’s injury issues mean he cannot be reliable upon for a full season, while Antonio Rüdiger’s fitness also needs to be managed.
The club’s other senior center back, Dean Huijsen, remains highly rated but was left out of Spain’s World Cup roster after a mixed first season at the Bernabéu.
What are Konaté’s Strengths?
Konaté made 183 appearances for Liverpool over five years. / Ryan Crockett/DeFodi Images/DeFodi/Getty Images
Konaté would offer Madrid serious top-level experience, as a Premier League winner with five years under his belt at Liverpool and 27 caps for France.
At 6'5", the former RB Leipzig star is a physically imposing defender, with an impressive ability in the air—during his five seasons in the Premier League, Konaté has regularly ranked near the top for aerial duels won—and strong recovery pace.
In the 2025–26 season, no defender made more tackles, interceptions or blocked more crosses for Liverpool.
Konaté is known as a popular locker room presence at Liverpool, while he already has a connection with several of Madrid’s players. Mbappé is a good friend of the center back and has vouched for his international teammate in informal conversations about transfers, according to AS.
He will also be well acquainted with the likes of Aurelién Tchouaméni and—should they remain at the club beyond the summer—Eduardo Camavinga and Ferland Mendy. Perhaps most interestingly, though, is Konaté’s connection with Alexander-Arnold.
The two spent four seasons together at Anfield, with Konate’s physicality allowing him to cover the space from right center back to right back as his teammate pushed on to join the attack.
Without a right-sided partner able to cover ground as effectively as Konaté, Alexander-Arnold’s defensive limitations have frequently been more exposed in the Spanish capital.
Konaté’s signing could re-unite a partnership that helped deliver Liverpool’s second Premier League title in 35 years.
What Are Konaté’s Weaknesses?
Ibrahima Konaté was a regular during a difficult season for Liverpool. / Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images
In spite of his obvious physical attributes, Konaté is not the most robust of players.
While he played in 36 out of 38 Premier League matches for Liverpool in 2025–26, his injury record in recent years has been a concern.
He missed eight games for his club in the title-winning 2024–25 campaign, and seven the year before. Though he has been more available recently, his history of knocks could be a red flag for Madrid as they look to find solutions for the fitness issues in their backline, rather than add to them.
In addition, Konaté is coming off the back of perhaps his worst season, with Liverpool conceding 53 times in the Premier League as they finished a disappointing fifth.
Konaté was among the players to have suffered a big drop-off in performance levels during Arne Slot’s doomed second season.
Never the most comfortable on the ball, Konaté’s displays were at best a mixed bag in 2025–26, with Slot describing his center back as being “a bit too much at the crime scene,” after a 3–3 draw with Leeds United back in December.
There were, however, mitigating factors to consider, not least the death of Konaté’s father earlier this year.
With contract renewal negotiations stalling this spring,The Athletic reports that Liverpool “did not believe that Konaté was worth what it would have cost to keep him and decided that their resources would be better spent elsewhere.”
Ultimately, Madrid may have decided that they are not put off by the wage demands and are willing to take the gamble that Konaté’s poor season was simply a one-off.
