Real Madrid Makes Bold Move Toward Chelsea, PSG Target Over Liverpool Star | OneFootball

Ibrahima Konaté is in the final year of his Liverpool contract, and with no extension agreed upon, questions about his future at Anfield are growing amid reported interest from PSG.

Both PSG and Real Madrid are reportedly keeping a close eye on the situation and could make a move if talks stall before the January transfer window.

As previously reported by Foot Mercato, Konaté has drawn attention from several top European clubs, including PSG, Real Madrid, and Barcelona. Despite the ongoing speculation, Liverpool chose to keep the defender over the summer rather than entertain offers.

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Despite the links to the Liverpool standout, Bild journalist Christian Falk has claimed Dayot Upamecano is ahead of Konaté in Real Madrid’s wishlist. However, Bayern Munich remain optimistic that the defender will sign a new contract and extend his stay at the Allianz Arena.

“It is TRUE: Bayern Munich have a big hope that Dayot Upamecano will sign a new contract,” Falk wrote on CF Bayern Insider. “However, I heard that there is still yet to be a major breakthrough in contract talks. There’s still a big question mark hanging over the signing fee. Alphonso Davies got a lot of money here, nearly €20m [£17.4m]. Upamecano also wants a sizeable signing fee.

“If Marc Guehi were to come to Munich, yes, the club would also have to pay a signing fee, as he’s a free agent. So, this is a big ongoing discussion inside the halls of power at Säbener Straße. Upamecano is already a high salary earner for a defender in Germany. I don’t know how much defenders are on at English clubs, but with €60m (including add-ons), he’s already well-paid. So it’s hard to add a potentially significant signing fee on top.”

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Even though the German side is hopeful that a deal can be done with the French defender, any agreement will come down to the finances, as the player appears to want to get paid a lucrative sum.

“Bayern are still, regardless, in productive talks,” Falk added. “Dayot Upamecano could imagine staying at the club, but in the end it’s a question of money. By the way, yes, it is also true that Upamecano has leapfrogged Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté on Real Madrid’s wishlist.

“They have a big eye on him. His management team, led by Moussa Sissoko, are putting pressure on Bayern in the talks. Upamecano would be a good deal for Real Madrid. They’re always looking at free agent defenders, as they don’t want to have to spend money on them.

“So Konaté and Upamecano are leading the race in this case. Don’t forget that both David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger were both also free agents when they first arrived in Madrid. So, these are the kind of targets Real Madrid love. If they get one of them, they’ll be happy. But if they can both? They’ll be even happier.”

Along with Real Madrid, there’s PSG. Falk recently confirmed the club’s interest in the defender. If Upamecano becomes available next summer, he could be a prime signing for PSG, though luring him may prove challenging given the attention from multiple other clubs.

Moreover, Football London reported that Chelsea could save about £52 million by waiting until next summer to sign Upamecano, who will become a free agent.