Barcelona and Real Madrid monitoring Liverpool mainstay as contract talks stall | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have been dipping into the free-agent pool for squad reinforcements in recent years and continue to keep an eye on potential market opportunities in that area.

Recent reports have suggested that Arsenal star Thomas Partey remains on the Blaugrana’s agenda as he is set to leave the Emirates when his contract expires on June 30.

Meanwhile, another player from the Premier League, who will become a free agent in 2026, has seemingly caught the La Liga champions’ attention.

Ibrahima Konate on Barcelona’s radar

Indeed, according to Footmercato’s Santi Aouna, Barcelona are among the clubs keeping tabs on Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate along with Real Madrid and PSG.

The French international has established himself as a key player at Anfield. But his contract expires in 2026 and negotiations over a renewal have hit a standstill.

On Barcelona’s radar. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

As things stand, everything indicates that Konate will leave the Premier League champions as a free agent next year, leaving Liverpool facing another situation like the one with Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer.

As per the report, several top clubs across Europe have already been informed about Konate’s situation and are monitoring the developments. These teams include Barcelona, Real Madrid, and PSG.

Barcelona are well-stocked in the centre-back department even though they are likely to part ways with Andreas Christensen this summer. But, they will need to replace Inigo Martinez next summer and Konate could be a market opportunity for Hansi Flick & co.

However, the report goes on to mention that at the moment, Konate’s personal preference appears to be signing for Los Blancos over other interested parties.

So, any move to Barça might be unlikely at this point, although there is a lot of time left before Konate has to make a final decision on his next move.