Real Madrid Add to Silva, Cucurella Signings With Yet Another Free Agent
Real Madrid have confirmed Ibrahima Konaté will join the club on a free transfer, having agreed a four-year contract that will commence July 1.
The 27-year-old’s move to Real Madrid had become something of a will-they-won’t-they saga over the course of the year. Madrid had been expected to offer a contract to the France international as his deal with Liverpool entered its final year. Then, in April, Konaté declared to assembled reporters that there was a “big chance” he would remain on Merseyside. “This is what I’ve always wanted,” he explained.
No progress was made on a contract renewal, however, and Florentino Pérez declared that Konaté would be one of Real Madrid’s first signings following re-election as Real Madrid president earlier this month.
With that deal now officially confirmed, Konaté becomes Madrid’s third signing of the summer following moves for Bernardo Silva (free) and Marc Cucurella (€55 million from Chelsea).
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How Could Real Madrid Line Up With Konaté?
Official Announcement: Konaté.
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Konaté represents another free transfer coup for Real Madrid, who have become the masters of playing the market in recent years—following similar deals for David Alaba, Antonio Rüdiger, Kylian Mbappé and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
At 27, Konaté is still in his prime years and brings years of top-level experience as a World Cup finalist and Premier League winner. Few center backs offer the same level of athleticism and imposing aerial dominance.
The Frenchman was known to be a popular locker room presence at Anfield, and already has a connection with several of Madrid’s players, including Mbappé. At Liverpool, he often worked well on the right side of a back four next to Alexander-Arnold and has a chance to reignite that partnership in Madrid.
All that said, it is fair to say that Konaté did not enjoyed his finest season in 2025–26 and came under fire for his part in Liverpool’s post-Premier League-winning downturn in form.
Back in December, then-Reds manager Arne Slot famously described his Konaté as being “a bit too much at the crime scene,” after a 3–3 draw with Leeds United. Meanwhile, The Athletic report 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.”
With Alaba gone and Éder Miltão’s fitness a perenial issue Konaté can expect to see plenty of game time as the right-side center back, perhaps alongside Rüdiger or Dean Huijsen and with Alexander-Arnold and Cucurella out wide. However, there could yet be more additions to the club’s defense.
Mourinho Still Wants More Defenders
José Mourinho is set to oversee a major reshuffle at Madrid. / Valter Gouveia/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Though Konaté marks Madrid’s second defensive arrival this summer, with Denzel Dumfries also expected to be officially added shortly, new manager José Mourinho is reported to want more options for a new-look backline.
__AS reports that Mourinho has asked for another central defender. Initially, the club had investigated the option of a player like Joško Gvardiol, who can play both center and left back, but are now pivoting to a pure central option, following the signing of Cucurella.
Rúben Dias, Alessandro Bastoni and Nico Schlotterbeck are all thought to be under consideration.
Beefing up the defense remains a key area of focus for Mourinho and Madrid ahead of the new season.
The departures of veteran options Dani Carvajal and Alaba have left the club short on numbers, while Raúl Asencio’s future remains up in the air. There has been talk that the 23-year-old could be sold this summer.
Meanwhile, Militão’s injury issues mean he cannot be reliable upon for a full season and Rüdiger’s fitness also needs to be managed. The club’s only other senior center back, Huijsen, remains highly rated but was left out of Spain’s World Cup roster after a mixed first season at the Bernabéu.
