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Real Madrid are planning to lure Ibrahima Konate as another free signing, putting Liverpool on alert to pre-plan a counter-strategy. The La Liga club already lured former Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer after the Englishman let his contract expire.
Liverpool is not the only club facing this Madrid strategy, which involves using acquaintances and the media as communication sources. Madrid have also signed Kylian Mbappe, David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger with this unethical methodology to do the transfer business.
As things stand, Konate has only one season left in his current contract with the Reds, with an ongoing negotiation. Liverpool needs to get a certain answer from the Frenchman this summer to counteract the uncertainty and secure their future.
According to the Spanish outlet Marca, Real are planning to lure Konate from Liverpool as another free transfer summer move. Legally, foreign clubs are allowed to communicate with the players from the first of January of their last contractual year.
However, this recurring method deployed by Madrid is a massive talking point on social media and another show of the abuse of power by the Spanish club. Nevertheless, the Reds need to create a strategy to counter this recurring theme and protect their investments.
There is a possibility of Liverpool selling Konate if he opts to reject the contract that both parties are negotiating. The Reds have made some impressive moves already in the summer transfer window and need to address defensive vulnerability regardless.
While Konate has played an important role for Liverpool in their recent Premier League title victory, there are defensive vulnerabilities. The Frenchman is a fan favourite and has proven his worth with consistent performances.
Nevertheless, many of the defensive vulnerabilities revolved around the right side of the defence, with Alexander-Arnold and Konate receiving constant criticism. Furthermore, there is an argument that Konate struggles to perform without captain Virgil van Dijk as his partner.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher voiced that concerns in an episode of the Overlap (via YouTube), highlighting Konate’s struggles without Van Dijk. Meanwhile, the Times previously reported that Konate wants a massive pay rise, which is a big problem in contract negotiations.
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Liverpool are reportedly preparing an audacious move to sign Real Madrid superstar Vinícius Júnior, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes. The Merseyside club, who won the Premier League title last season and spent heavily in the most recent transfer window to maintain their competitive edge, are now looking to strengthen a weakened area of their attack after an underwhelming start to the campaign. Despite investing significantly in offensive reinforcements, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Hugo Ekitike, none of the trio naturally operate on the left wing. Liverpool need more quality in attack Their arrivals have improved Liverpool’s depth and versatility in the final third, but also left a glaring void in the left-sided attacking role previously occupied by more traditional wide forwards. Although Cody Gakpo plays on the left-wing, but the loss of Luis Diaz, who left the club to join Bayern Munich in the summer, is proving like a mistake on Liverpool’s part. This imbalance has been reflected on the pitch, with Liverpool lacking the explosiveness and directness down the left flank that characterised their success in previous seasons. This tactical deficiency has reportedly pushed Liverpool toward a blockbuster target: Vinícius Júnior. The Brazilian, long regarded as one of Real Madrid’s most essential attackers, is experiencing a period of uncertainty at the Bernabéu. Though still a regular starter, his relationship with the club has become increasingly complicated. His current contract runs until 2027, but negotiations over an extension have stalled, and multiple Spanish reports claim the forward has grown frustrated with his role under manager Xabi Alonso. Vinícius is unsettled at Real Madrid As per Fichajes, Liverpool are preparing to test Real Madrid’s resolve with an £88 million bid, banking on Vinícius’ dissatisfaction and the club’s lack of progress on a new deal. The 25-year-old is believed to be open to a Premier League switch if the right project emerges, particularly one where he can reclaim a starring role and operate in his preferred left-wing position. While Real Madrid are historically reluctant to sell marquee players, internal tensions and long-term planning could open the door for negotiations. Liverpool, meanwhile, view Vinícius as a transformational signing who could immediately elevate their attack and restore balance to the front line. Liverpool close to signing versatile attacker who rejected Manchester United in the summer
In LeBron James' historic season debut, Lakers storm past Jazz
Luka Doncic scored 37 points with 10 assists and LeBron James added 11 points in 30 minutes of his season debut as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied for a 140-125 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz on Tuesday. Austin Reaves scored 26 points, Deandre Ayton added 20 points with 14 rebounds. Jake LaRavia had 16 points as Los Angeles won its third consecutive game. However, the game was historic for James and the NBA After missing the first 14 games of the season because of sciatica on his right side, James took the court to become the first player in NBA history to play in 23 consecutive seasons. Keyonte George scored 33 points and Lauri Markkanen added 31 for the Jazz, who lost for the fifth time in their past seven games. Svi Mykhailiuk and Ace Bailey each scored 13 points and Jusuf Nurkic added 10 points with 10 rebounds in Utah's only road contest in a stretch of seven games. The Lakers didn't take their first lead until going up 89-88 on a Doncic layup with 3:36 remaining in the third quarter. The basket was part of an 8-0 run that gave Los Angeles a 91-88 advantage. The Lakers dominated from there. They led 104-93 through three quarters after trailing by as many as seven points earlier in the period. Doncic scored 17 points in the third quarter alone when Los Angeles had a 37-22 scoring advantage. It was more of the same in the fourth quarter as the Lakers had a 36-32 advantage and finished with a season high in points. The Jazz led the entire first half, taking an 11-2 lead 3:19 into the game and going up 16-6 five minutes into the opening quarter. James had a turnover in the opening minute and missed his only shot of the first quarter as Utah took a 36-27 lead. James' first basket of the season came on a 3-pointer with 8:20 remaining in the first half. He scored seven points in the second quarter, while going 2 of 2 from 3-point range in the period. The Jazz led 71-67 at halftime by shooting 55.3% from the floor as George had 23 points and Markkanen added 22.
Islanders-Stars game ends with ejection, review and Patrick Roy screaming
The New York Islanders' 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night ended with complete mayhem that included an ejection, Islanders coach Patrick Roy screaming and a replay review on what could have been a potential buzzer-beating game-tying goal. It is probably the most chaotic ending of the 2025-26 NHL season to date. Here's what happened. Mikko Rantanen ejected for hit that enraged Patrick Roy Things really started to pop off when Stars forward Mikko Rantanen was ejected for boarding Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov with just 27 seconds remaining. Rantanen was assessed a match penalty for the hit, resulting in Roy screaming at him between the benches. Roy is no stranger to these sorts of altercations in his head-coaching career, and he has repeatedly gotten himself into verbal — and nearly physical — altercations with opponents. His first game as an NHL head coach with the Colorado Avalanche nearly resulted in him climbing over the glass to fight then-Anaheim Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau. He has passion. But that was only the start of the crazy ending. Potential buzzer-beating game-tying goal overturned on replay review As the Islanders were attempting to cling to a one-goal lead, the Stars appeared to tie the game with a buzzer-beating goal that would have sent the game to overtime, completing a wild comeback that started with a goal just one minute earlier. The only problem: The goal was taken away when it was determined that Stars forward Jason Robertson interfered with goalie David Rittich. Robertson definitely makes contact with Rittich in the crease, and he is responsible for making every possible effort to avoid that. But it is also true that Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock gives him a pretty good hit that sends him into the crease and into Rittich. The officials and NHL clearly did not think that was the cause of the interference and overturned the goal, securing the Islanders win. Goaltending interference can be a pretty subjective call. In this case, it did not favor the Stars.
3 Overreactions After Dallas Cowboys Crush Las Vegas Raiders
After looking competitive—even in defeat—the past two weeks, the Las Vegas Raiders seemed poised for a breakthrough. Instead, everything crashed back to earth Monday night. Time to react. John Spytek might be a terrible GM… We’ll get to the coaching staff later, but something far more glaring needs to be addressed first: the roster construction has been disastrous. It’s difficult to identify a single offseason move by GM Mike Spytek that has clearly worked. Defensively, the first-year general manager essentially let everyone walk. The only returning pieces were Isaiah Pola-Mao, Malcolm Koonce and Adam Butler. Butler has been steady, but the other two have struggled. The rest of the secondary and all of the linebackers were rebuilt with bargain-bin free agents—nearly all of whom have been poor fits. The lone modest success is Eric Stokes, who has been serviceable at corner. On offense, the only major swing was the trade for Geno Smith. Anyone watching can see that move has backfired. The lack of other additions, especially along the offensive line, was equally baffling. The draft offered little relief. Most of the rookies can’t crack a starting lineup at three positions where the Raiders are thinnest: cornerback, offensive line and wide receiver. The only pick showing real promise is running back Ashton Jeanty, taken sixth overall—and even that looks questionable given positional value and the team’s many other needs. There’s a chance the coaching staff influenced these decisions, but their usage of the roster suggests they aren’t high on these players either. The coaching staff hates the roster… It’s hard to fully explain, but it feels as if the coaching staff has little faith in most of the roster—including players they handpicked. Rookies continue to sit behind veterans who look overmatched, and the one rookie who does play is barely used. And remember the move for veteran quarterback Smith? Chip Kelly now has him running a college-style offense because he no longer trusts him. The defensive decisions are just as baffling. Maxx Crosby’s role has been altered for no clear reason, making him less effective. Pola-Mao and edge rusher Eric Snowden have been miscast, with the staff apparently convinced Snowden is an off-ball linebacker. And it’s worth noting that Germaine Pratt, who received a major contract last offseason, was effectively run out of town within five weeks. The message from the staff to the locker room is unmistakable: they don’t believe in their players. The players, in turn, are starting to respond in kind. This Raiders team has checked out… After two weeks of fighting, the Raiders’ edge vanished before the first quarter even ended Monday night. Tackling looked optional, blocking wasn’t far behind, and the low point came on a George Pickens touchdown where the entire secondary appeared content to watch him stroll into the end zone. It only got worse after halftime. Las Vegas folded completely. Every offensive snap felt like a jailbreak, and the defense let the Cowboys march wherever they wanted. Even as Dallas bled the clock late, the Cowboys kept pushing forward while the Raiders simply let it happen. The lone exception was Maxx Crosby, who played with his usual intensity. Beyond him, the roster looked ready for the offseason. Unfortunately for Las Vegas, nearly two months remain—and it’s shaping up to feel like an eternity.
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