Real Madrid line up bid for Liverpool's centre back star

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 3 Jan 2023 22:39 GMT
• 4 min read

Real Madrid are building their team of tomorrow and have lined up a Liverpool defensive stalwart as the next piece of their puzzle…

Real are the reigning Spanish and European champions, but Luka Modric is 37, Karim Benzema 35, while the soon-to-be 33-year-old Toni Kroos has recently admitted he plans to retire in Madrid, although not when.

Real added 22-year-old midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni to their ranks in a €100 million transfer from Monaco in June, and they have already lined up a €72m deal for Brazilian wonderkid Endrick, who will join in the summer of 2024 once he's turned 18.

READ: Haaland and Davies: Real Madrid plan to build team of Galacticos

Now they want to long-term central defensive partner for Eder Militao, and Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate has been identified as the ideal player in the position.

— Darcey Bennett (@Darcey_Bennett_) December 31, 2022

'Konate has a big admirer in Ancelotti'

"According to our information, Ibrahima Konate has a big fan in Carlo Ancelotti," report French outlet Media Foot. "The Real Madrid coach is enjoying the last adventure of his fabulous career and already knows this is his last job before retirement.

"He is fully imagining the Real of tomorrow… and Konate is now one of his targets. One of the player's relatives has even confirmed to us that the Italian coach is keen on the Frenchman and informed his people he wanted him from the 2023/24 season."

READ: Liverpool consider swapping Konate for €82m striker

Konate joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig for €40 million at the start of last season, and at 23, the Frenchman is seen as Virgil van Dijk's long-term successor at Anfield.

Konate's stock rose with his performances for France at the recent World Cup in Qatar, and he is now valued at €34.5m by Football Transfers' in-house algorithm - a number Real can afford to smash through for a desired transfer target.

From Steve McManaman though Michael Owen to Xabi Alonso, Liverpool have historically struggled to keep players out of Real's clutches, but they do at least have Konate bolted down until June 2026.