Konaté Prioritises Real Madrid Move
French defender Ibrahima Konaté has verbally agreed to join Real Madrid in the summer following his exit from Liverpool as a free agent, reports Fabrizio Romano.
Konate was on the transfer radar of Real Madrid last summer, but it did not happen because he prioritized Liverpool and hoped to extend his stay at Anfield, as he revealed in April, but negotiations broke down due to disagreements over bonus-related terms.
Perez Victory Key to Next Phase of Deal
Konate is the primary choice for Real Madrid to reinforce their broken defense in the summer if Florentino Perez wins the presidential set to happen on June 7. According to Marcos Benito, the 27-year-old has already reached an agreement to sign a 4-year deal with Los Blancos if Florentino Perez wins the elections.
After bringing his Liverpool spell to an end, Konaté received approaches from Saudi clubs with attractive salaries, but the player paused negotiations with Middle Eastern clubs to prioritize his move to Real Madrid.
Ben Jacobs reported that further movement for Konaté from the Real Madrid side will happen only after presidential elections on June 7th, as the terms were already agreed upon in last year’s negotiations.
Real Madrid See Konaté as Long-Term Solution
Real Madrid faced an injury-hit campaign in defense this season, with multiple center backs spending extended periods on the sidelines. Perez and his entourage view Konate as the ideal candidate to solve the crisis in defense with his experience, leadership, and physical presence.
If the move materializes, Konaté could form a long-term partnership with Dean Huijsen, giving Real Madrid a powerful and youthful central defensive pairing for the coming years.