The transfer market is about to close, but it still holds surprises. One of them is the decision of Ibrahima Konaté, Liverpool's central defender, who has already communicated his intention to both clubs.
Real Madrid's squad is almost closed
Real Madrid has considered its squad closed for this season. With Gonzalo and the four recent signings, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Carreras, Huijsen, and Mastantuono, the 25 spots allowed by LaLiga are now filled.
That's why the focus is now on clearing the squad and looking for departures. The names most mentioned are Rodrygo and Mendy. Even so, the club doesn't take its eyes off the market, as it has always done.
The defense, the weak point that needs reinforcement
Although Real Madrid feels strong, the central defense is an area that raises concern. In the match against PSG, mistakes were seen that alerted the sporting management, especially from Asencio and Rüdiger. There's no red alert, but there is monitoring.
In this context, Ibrahima Konaté has burst onto the scene. He is 26 years old, has a contract with Liverpool until 2027, and hasn't renewed. This puts the English club on alert, which already suffered the free departure of Alexander-Arnold, now at Madrid.
Konaté wants Madrid and has already communicated it
According to sources close to the situation and journalist Fabrizio Romano, Konaté has made his desire clear: he wants to play for Real Madrid. The operation has heated up after the Club World Cup and the club is paying attention, though without doing anything crazy.
Liverpool doesn't want to lose the player for free in 2027 and is asking for at least €50 million for him now. Madrid isn't willing to pay more than €20-25 million. The formula could be a game-changer in the final days of the market.
The alternative: William Saliba
In addition to Konaté, Madrid is also closely following William Saliba, Arsenal's central defender who also finishes his contract in 2027. Like Konaté, Saliba is interested in playing at Bernabéu.
These two cases fit perfectly with Madrid's strategy: signing young players in the last year of their contract, without paying fortunes, and competing with state-owned clubs that dominate the market.
The bet on the future
Madrid isn't just looking for immediate solutions, but also betting on young talent with potential. That's why signings like Mastantuono have been made or there's trust in young players like Vinicius or Endrick.
Konaté and Saliba would be top-level reinforcements, but without breaking the bank. The idea is to wait until the end of the market to see if the opportunity arises to close one of these deals.