Sports02 June, 20263 min read
Ibrahima Konaté Leaves Liverpool for Real Madrid After Contract Talks Breakdown
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Konaté leaves Liverpool as a free agent after contract talks broke down. Real Madrid close to signing him on a free transfer as talks progress.
Konaté exits Liverpool
Ibrahima Konaté is nearing a Real Madrid move after his Liverpool exit was confirmed, with the France international defender set to leave Anfield as a free agent this summer after a breakdown in contract talks. FOX Sports said the 27-year-old centre-back leaves Anfield after five seasons that yielded the Premier League title in 2025, and it noted his exit coincides with the departures of Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson. Sky Sports News reported that Konaté is edging closer to joining Real Madrid after it was confirmed he would leave Liverpool as a free agent, and it said talks are ongoing with the LaLiga giants.
“Finances are not the issue; they have been pretty good over the years at balancing the books.”
Sky Sports News also quoted Vinny O'Connor saying, "Finances are not the issue; they have been pretty good over the years at balancing the books." Konaté’s next focus is international duty with Les Bleus as he prepares for this summer's FIFA World Cup, with FOX Sports saying a swift official announcement and presentation in Madrid would follow once his international campaign concludes.
Election decides timing
Multiple outlets tied the Real Madrid confirmation to the club’s presidential election, with FOX Sports saying the completion of the transfer hinges on Florentino Perez earning re-election as club president.
Sky Sports News said the potential move will depend on Real Madrid's ongoing presidential elections, and it framed the negotiations as increasingly likely to lead to a signing.
The Liverpool Offside reported that on Sunday, Konaté confirmed he would not continue his career at Liverpool, and it said the club would lose a defender for nothing after failing to hammer out a new deal over the previous two seasons.
The Liverpool Offside also said, "Barring a shock, Konaté will play his football at Real Madrid next season," while Fabrizio Romano’s update in The Empire of The Kop described a verbal agreement.
In The Empire of The Kop, Fabrizio Romano posted on X: "BREAKING: Real Madrid have verbal agreement in place with Ibrahima Konaté! Four year deal to be signed, depending on if/when Florentino Pérez is re-elected."
What happens next
As the transfer process moves toward a decision point, FOX Sports said Konaté is preparing for the FIFA World Cup with France before any Madrid unveiling. The New York Times reported that Real Madrid are actively pursuing deals to sign Konate under the assumption Florentino Perez wins their upcoming club presidential elections, and it said Konaté will leave Liverpool as a free agent when his contract expires on June 30. The New York Times also noted that Perez, 79, is being rivalled for the Madrid presidency for the first time since 2004, with Enrique Riquelme, a 37-year-old renewable energy entrepreneur, standing against him in an election held June 7.
“Konate, 27, will leave Liverpool as a free agent when the centre-back’s contract expires on June 30.”
In Liverpool’s camp, the Liverpool Echo said Konaté confirmed on Saturday he will leave Liverpool when his contract expires at the end of the month, and it added that the deal will only proceed should Perez be re-elected as Real Madrid president on Sunday. Konaté’s own farewell message to Liverpool, as quoted by the London Evening Standard, included: "I am deeply saddened that I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to all of you at the last game."