Real Madrid close in on Konate, with Mbappe acting as chief recruiter
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 16.11.25. | 19:45
The Liverpool defender stalls on renewal as January’s pre-contract window looms
Real Madrid have shifted into full predatory mode. With next July transfer window still months away, the club already has its preferred target for defence: Ibrahima Konate, the Liverpool centre-back who is fast approaching the final stage of his contract.
Just as they once did with David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger, Madrid want another top-class free agent, and Konate is sitting right at the top of the list. With fewer than two months before he can legally negotiate a pre-contract, talks with Liverpool remain frozen. The Premier League club have already placed their final offer on the table, but Konate hasn't moved an inch. And in Madrid, that silence sounds like opportunity.
And then comes the wildcard - Kylian Mbappe.
Speaking on Telefoot, Konate revealed - half-joking, half-winking - that the Madrid star "calls me every two hours to sign for Real Madrid." Behind the laughter, the message is loud and clear: Mbappe is acting as unofficial recruiter, and Madrid know exactly what they're doing.
For Liverpool, the alarm bells are ringing. Konate is not showing signs of wanting to renew, and the clock is ticking down toward January, when the Bernabeu outfit can make its first official move.
The next few weeks will decide everything. If Konate doesn't sign before the new year, the road opens wide for Real Madrid. And Florentino Perez rarely wastes an opening...
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