Real Madrid target Liverpool star after Alonso identifies priority | OneFootball

Madrid Circles Konate as Liverpool Brace for Another European Raid

Alonso identifies familiar fix for Madrid’s defensive fragility

If Real Madrid were not already one of the great hoarders of European football, they have certainly nailed the aesthetics of it. White kits, golden reputations, and a conveyor belt of centre-backs who have a knack for arriving with pedigree and leaving with medals.

This summer, they want another. Not just any defender, but one who already has the scars and stripes of England’s top flight. Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool’s muscular, graceful enforcer, has been earmarked by Xabi Alonso as the next piece of Madrid’s puzzle.

Photo: IMAGO

The Spanish press, notably Defensa Central, claim Alonso has told Real president Florentino Perez, “He’s a fantastic player, powerful, with speed, good heading… a great centre-back for Madrid.” That’s not idle flattery. It is the appraisal of a former midfielder who has seen the anatomy of elite defending close up, and who now appears to be shaping his squad through the same lens.

Photo: IMAGO

Contract stand-off prompts swift recalibration

Konate’s contract runs out next summer, and reports suggest he has made it clear he will not sign a new one. Suddenly, what looked like a free transfer in 2026 may now become a high-stakes negotiation this July. Madrid, sniffing an opportunity, are considering accelerating their move.

Photo: IMAGO

Liverpool, for their part, are not naïve. They know what it means when a player with peak age and prime resale value shows reluctance to commit. They have already been linked with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, who represents a more grounded option but one lacking Champions League pedigree.

Photo: IMAGO

Slot faces a structural challenge

Arne Slot arrived to build a new era, but he may be doing so while losing a pillar of the old one. Konate has not just been a centre-back. He has been Liverpool’s fire-blanket, the player who bailed out chaos with well-timed interventions and calm authority. Replacing him is not just about ability, it is about aura.

Madrid know this. So do Liverpool.

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If you are a Liverpool supporter, there is one word for this report: unsettling. Ibrahima Konate leaving now, just as the club transitions into a new era under Arne Slot, would be a brutal loss.

He is not just another name on the team sheet. He is the physical and psychological presence at the back, someone who allows the full-backs to push on with confidence and gives Alisson a buffer against the waves of pressure that come with modern football.

What makes this sting more is the fact it comes at a moment of renewed optimism. A new manager, fresh ideas, and the promise of a squad rebuild. Losing Konate throws sand into the gears before they have even started turning properly.

And Madrid again. How many times must Liverpool watch their key assets picked off by European giants promising silver-lined legacies and sunnier skies?

There is a business case for selling, of course. If Konate will not sign a new deal, the club cannot afford to lose him for nothing. But emotionally, symbolically, this feels like too soon, too jarring.

Liverpool need to make a decision. Not just financially, but philosophically. If Konate walks, how quickly does the project start to wobble?