Ibrahima Konate applauds the Liverpool fans (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Surprise issue emerges in Liverpool & Real Madrid transfer saga

Originally posted on Caught Offside | By Mark Brus | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 8:31 AM ET

A surprise issue seems to be emerging in Real Madrid’s transfer pursuit of Liverpool central defender Ibrahima Konate.

The France international has generally been a superb performer for the Reds, and the worry for them at the moment is that he’s yet to sign a new contract as he heads towards becoming a free agent next summer.

Real Madrid see Konate as a big opportunity on a free transfer, but it also now seems that the deal could be in doubt due to the player’s recent dip in form, according to Fichajes.

Konate could be a fine signing for Madrid if he gets back to his best, but it does now seem that he’ll have to work a bit harder to get to that level again if he really wants to earn that move to the Bernabeu.

What’s going on with Ibrahima Konate’s Liverpool future amid Real Madrid transfer interest?

As recently reported for the Daily Briefing, Liverpool are increasingly worried about Ibrahima Konate’s future in the wake of William Saliba’s new Arsenal contract, and they’re keen on Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo as one potential replacement for Konate.

Our understanding remains that Konate has not yet agreed anything with LFC, and that Real Madrid are closely monitoring his situation.

A final decision will surely not be made now, even if Fichajes are claiming that Konate’s slump in form is causing Madrid some concerns.

It seems unlikely that a few bad games would have that much of an effect on a club’s plans, though of course if this were to continue then it’s perfectly possible that Real’s plans would change.

Liverpool can’t exactly pin their current issues down on one player, though, with the team as a unit just not looking quite as convincing as they did for so much of last season.

This article first appeared on Caught Offside and was syndicated with permission.

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