Ibrahima Konaté appeared determined to renew his contract with Liverpool FC, but a reported issue regarding bonuses led him to leave as a free agent. As a result, he has supposedly reached an agreement on a four-year contract to reinforce Real Madrid’s defense. Despite this, the French defender would not arrive immediately, as the move would depend on Florentino Pérez winning Los Blancos’ presidential election.
According to Fabrizio Romano and Nicolò Schira, via X, formerly Twitter, Ibrahima Konaté has already reached an agreement to become Real Madrid’s marquee defensive signing. For this, the Frenchman would sign a four-year contract plus an optional additional year, worth €10 million per season. However, his signing would reportedly be used as part of Florentino Pérez’s presidential campaign strategy, meaning his arrival would be conditioned on his re-election.
After the departure of David Alaba and the inconsistencies of Dean Huijsen, Los Blancos would see Konaté’s arrival as a complete defensive boost. As one of Liverpool’s most consistent players, the 27-year-old defender would arrive to form the starting center-back partnership with Antonio Rüdiger. In addition, this could cast doubt on the future of Raúl Asencio, as he has lost prominence and could be transferred to open up space in the defensive line.
Alongside Ibrahima Konaté, Real Madrid could turn to Joan Martínez as the fifth center-back, serving as the replacement for Éder Militão in case of injuries. At just 18 years old, he could rotate between the first team and Real Madrid Castilla. With José Mourinho emerging as the possible new head coach, the team could return to having heavy rotation in defense, helping maintain competitiveness across all competitions.
Konaté could arrive with Dumfries to revamp Madrid’s defense
Real Madrid CF have decided to carry out an overhaul of their sporting project, with José Mourinho emerging as the new head coach. In addition, Ibrahima Konaté appears set to become the club’s new defender if Florentino Pérez is re-elected as president. Far from being the only two changes for next season, Los Blancos are also reportedly targeting Denzel Dumfries as their new right-back.
As per Matteo Moretto, via MARCA, Los Blancos are looking to strengthen the squad following the departure of Dani Carvajal, seeking direct competition for Trent Alexander-Arnold. Because of this, Denzel Dumfries has emerged as the main target, as Inter Milan appear open to his sale in the summer of 2026. As an experienced player, José Mourinho could bring out his best version immediately as he looks to rebuild the defensive line.