News Focus
- Ibrahima Konaté is in advanced talks with Real Madrid over a free transfer
- The French centre-back will leave Liverpool when his contract expires at the end of June
- Wage negotiations with Liverpool failed before the club confirmed his departure on Sunday
- Konaté follows Trent Alexander-Arnold in moving from Anfield to the Bernabéu without a fee
French defender Ibrahima Konaté is close to completing a move to Real Madrid. The 27-year-old will join the Spanish giants on a free transfer when his Liverpool contract ends next month.
The club confirmed on Sunday that the centre-back will leave Anfield this summer. Konaté had hoped to stay longer on Merseyside. However, talks over a new deal stopped because the two sides could not agree on wages.
Konaté moved to Liverpool from RB Leipzig in 2021 for £35 million. During his time at the club, he made 183 appearances in all competitions. He helped the Reds win the Premier League title, the FA Cup and two Carabao Cups.
Now he looks set to become the second Liverpool player to join Real Madrid for nothing in consecutive summers. England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold made the same switch last year.
Sources close to the deal say personal terms are nearly finalised. The transfer would see Konaté swap English football for La Liga.