Real Madrid have announced the signing of Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate as their third big summer signing.
The 27-year-old France international has become a free agent after his Liverpool contract ended at the end of the 2025-26 season. This comes on the heels of Real Madrid’s recent signings of Marc Cucurella from Chelsea and Bernardo Silva.
Konate, who was a late change for France’s 3-1 win over Senegal in their opener, will be leaving Liverpool after five successful seasons at Anfield. He was acquired by the Reds from RB Leipzig in 2021 and helped them win the Premier League title in 2024-25 under the guidance of Jürgen Klopp, who won two EFL Cups and one FA Cup under his leadership.
The centre-back was also in the 2022 Champions League final, against Real Madrid, who defeated Liverpool 1-0.
Konate will now get to see his former Liverpool teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold at the Santiago Bernabéu. He has signed a four year deal with Los Blancos and will officially join the team at the end of this month.
A Strong Defensive Addition
During his time at Liverpool, Konate made 183 appearances the most by any French-born player in the club’s history. Of those, 154 were in partnership with Virgil van Dijk, making them one of the most potent defensive duos in European football.
Real Madrid have been busy in the transfer market, ahead of their second spell under Jose Mourinho. The signing of Cucurella (€60m from Chelsea) and Bernardo Silva (free agent) demonstrate their desire to make a major investment this summer.
