Real Madrid have informed Liverpool that the club have no intention of pursuing a deal to sign Ibrahima Konate in 2026.
The Spanish side have held a long-standing interest in the central defender, who is out of contract at Liverpool at the end of the current campaign.
Konate can negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign sides from January, with Liverpool having so far failed to reach terms with the Frenchman on a contract extension.
Real Madrid, who have targeted the free agent market in recent windows, had been expected to make a move for Konate. However, The Athletic are reporting that they have informed Liverpool ‘directly and unequivocally that they now have no interest’ in a deal.
The communication from Real Madrid comes after the Spanish side signed Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool last summer. Alexander-Arnold’s deal expired at the end of last season and he completed a transfer to the Bernabeu in June. It is understood Real Madrid have made an early communication to Liverpool in a bid to retain the working relationship between the clubs.
Konate will not be joining Alexander-Arnold, leaving Liverpool in a stronger negotiating position. The 26-year-old’s drop-off in form this season also leads to question marks over potential suitors, despite Paris Saint-Germain being another side who has monitored his situation.
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