Premier League defender to become Real Madrid’s top target in 2026 – Romano | OneFootball

Real Madrid have had a rather promising start to life under Xabi Alonso, who has made some critical changes to the team dynamics, notably adding more freshness in defence.

This trend is expected to continue, with Real Madrid unlikely to renew the services of two of their veteran defenders in Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba.

Several players are in contention to replace the ageing defensive duo, including Liverpool superstar Ibrahima Konate.

Konate to become Real Madrid’s top target

According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid will make Konate their top target going into the summer of 2026.

It appears the Spanish giants are ready to sign the Liverpool star on a Bosman deal, as the player’s contract at Anfield expires at the end of the season.

There has been renewed efforts from Liverpool’s end to convince the former RB Leipzig man to sign a new contract. But the player has continued to knock back the advances of the Premier League giants.

Konate looks likely to join Real Madrid next summer. (Photo by Mateusz Slodkowski/Getty Images)

This has worked in favour of Real Madrid, who were reportedly open to signing the Frenchman in the summer, as Romano had reported earlier.

However, the move was blocked by Liverpool, who were hopeful of convincing the defender to sign a new deal at the club.

But as things stand, Konate looks set to leave Anfield on a free transfer next summer, though it will be interesting to see whether or not the Reds are open to sanctioning the player’s exit in the January transfer window.

Real Madrid, for their part, could be open to spending around €15 million to prematurely acquire Konate’s services. But the club are also keeping tabs on other alternatives in the market, including Tottenham Hotspur’s star talent Micky van de Ven.