Real Madrid ‘withdraw interest’ in Liverpool star amid nightmare season

Real Madrid have reportedly told Liverpool they have ‘no interest’ in signing Ibrahima Konate, as his Anfield future hangs in the balance.

The France international is out of contract at the end of the season, and has been heavily linked with a move to the Spanish giants.

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Konate is allowed to sign a pre-contract agreement with overseas clubs from January 1, although it is not certain he will depart the Reds as a free agent.

What does the future hold for Konate?

According to the Athletic, Real have now made their position on the defender clear.

A report read: “The La Liga side have informed their Premier League counterparts directly and unequivocally that — despite such heavy speculation — they now have no interest in recruiting the France international.”

With Madrid seemingly out of the race for Konate’s signature, it remains to be seen what the future holds for him at Anfield.

Liverpool had been keen to extend the 26-year-old’s stay at the club, first making efforts to renew in 2023 before new sporting director Richard Hughes inherited the task following his arrival in June 2024.

However, a difficult start to the season for both the Reds, and Konate individually, may have impacted his prospects.

The centre-back has been a mainstay for Arne Slot’s side this term, but has been among the players who have struggled in their Premier League title defence.

Most recently, Liverpool were thumped 4-1 by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, which saw them fall to a ninth defeat in 12 games.

Konate came under fire for his role in the Dutch champions’ third goal, when his mistake allowed the opposition to advance on goal.

This was the latest mistake in an error-strewn campaign for the Reds man, with the defeat following a 3-0 home humiliation to Nottingham Forest at the weekend.

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Konate was substituted on just 55 minutes, with the result seeing Liverpool drop to 12th in the Premier League table.

Konate addresses his form

The Reds’ woeful run of form has piled the pressure on head coach Slot, while a number of his stars have been called out for their displays.

As well as Konate, club captain Virgil van Dijk and talisman Mohamed Salah have come in for scrutiny for underperforming this term.

In 12 Premier League games with Konate on the pitch, the Reds have conceded 17 goals, contributing to an alarming rate of a goal conceded every 58 minutes. 

And he recently took to social media to address his side’s slump in form, as he called on fans to stick with their team.

Taking to his X account on Thursday, the France international wrote: “We have to take this moment on the chest.

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“Criticism is part of football, and we’ll fight back every time and come through this storm.

“In these moments, the fans matter most. The ones who stand with us in the good times and the bad – the ones who sing for us even in the difficult moments! Your voice and your support mean everything to us.

“We know we need to improve and we’ll keep fighting for you. Always.”