Liverpool star chooses ‘next destination’ with offer set for ‘launch’

Real Madrid are set to ‘launch’ an offer to sign Ibrahima Konate this summer after getting the green light from the player, according to reports.

The Reds are having a brilliant transfer window with Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong arriving as their four big-name signings so far.

But there has been unwelcome speculation around their own players with Konate, Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz linked to moves away.

Liverpool centre-back Konate has entered the final year of his contract and reportedly rejected two new contract offers from the Reds recently.

That has led to reports that Real Madrid are looking to lure him to the Bernabeu on a free transfer next summer, like they did with Trent Alexander-Arnold, or even pay money to buy him in 2025.

But journalist David Lynch has spoke to people “close to Konate” and “the feeling” he gets is that the Liverpool defender is prioritising a stay at Anfield over a move to Real Madrid.

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Lynch said on the Sports Mole YouTube channel last week: “Real Madrid are clearly interested aren’t they – there is no question about that! But speaking to people close to Konate, I still get the feeling that his priority is to renew with Liverpool and there are talks there, but it is kind of stuck at the moment.

“I don’t think it has reached the point of no return and the player has definitely decided he wants to go to Real Madrid, I don’t get that feeling at all.

“That’s not to say that it won’t end in that way because that possibility is 100 per cent on the table, but we are still in the moment where there is hope there will be a breakthrough.”

Lynch added: “The player is not desperate to get out of Liverpool or desperate to go to Real Madrid, it’s not that kind of situation just yet, but they will have to put a contract on the table that is attractive to the player and, as of yet, that hasn’t happened.”

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While Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke doubts a deal would happen this summer as it would have to be “a very good offer” to tempt Liverpool into a sale.

O’Rourke told Football Insider recently: “I don’t see a move happening this summer. It would have to be a very good offer from Real Madrid to convince Liverpool to sell Konate, even though they don’t want him to run down his contract.

“You’re probably looking at over at least £40million to sell him now. I’d imagine Konate will end up staying at Liverpool this summer.

“The club will hold further talks with him to try and convince him to sign a new contract.

“So the player is in the box seat here, he can stay at Liverpool and talk to interested clubs in January with his contract running down as well.

“It’s a real worry for Liverpool because they’ve seen Trent Alexander-Arnold leave the club and they don’t want to see Konate do the same.”

However, Spanish website Defensa Central claims that Liverpool are ‘preparing to offer’ €120m (£105m) for Rodrygo this summer and Real Madrid ‘believe this could facilitate a deal’ for Konate ‘despite the two being separate transactions’.

It is understood that the La Liga giants ‘will launch an offer’ for Konate before the end of the summer with the France international ‘clear that he wants Real Madrid to be his next destination’.

Defensa Central add: ‘Although he’s very grateful and happy at Liverpool, he wants to aspire to the highest possible level in the world of football, and he knows that Real Madrid is the best option to take his career to the next level.’