By Real Madrid are in pursuit of Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, of which there is little doubt at this point. What remains to be seen is whether the Reds can persuade the French defender to stay, or if Los Blancos will make off with a second key part of Liverpool’s defence in the space of two years.
Los Blancos are planning to bring in Konate next summer on a free transfer, as part of their plans to continue refreshing their backline following a €120m spend this summer, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba are earmarked for departures.
So far Liverpool have made as many as three attempts to renew Konate’s contract over recent months, but on each occasion, have been turned down by the Frenchman. The fear that Los Blancos could swoop for Konate has been voiced in England too, as a reason for their insistence, Liverpool have now made a fresh contract offer, and on Monday it was presented to Konate’s agent.
Perhaps the curious part of the equation for those looking to read between the lines was the timing of the report. The news of a fresh offer for Konate was reported late on Monday night, and a matter of just over two hours later, the most reliable journalist when it comes to Real Madrid reported that Los Blancos were completely confident they would win the battle for.
That said, their report does note that Real Madrid have not yet made a formal offer, and it will require negotiations to reach an end, even if both Konate and Los Blancos are keen to get a move done, Liverpool are likely to offer more money than Real Madrid.
