Report: Real Madrid alter their stance on £87m Liverpool favourite after what they saw recently | OneFootball

According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid have cooled their interest in one Liverpool player they had previously been coasting.

The LaLiga giants continue to be linked with a potential swoop for Ibrahima Konate in 2026, with the French defender now into the final nine months of his contract at Anfield with no imminent sign of a renewal.

He’s not the only member of Arne Slot’s squad who’s drawn glances of admiration from the Bernabeu – as we reported for Empire of the Kop earlier this year, Los Blancos have been assessing Alexis Mac Allister as a prospective target to enhance their midfield.

However, a report from Defensa Central on Monday suggests that stance might now have changed.

Real Madrid cool interest in Mac Allister

It’s claimed that the Argentina international was previously one of Real Madrid’s ‘most popular’ targets, but a ‘poor start’ to the current season has led to doubts from the Bernabeu hierarchy, who are now understood to prefer the likes of Adam Wharton, Enzo Fernandez and Kees Smit.

The report adds that Liverpool ‘would never sell’ Mac Allister for anything less than €100m (£86.8m).

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Mac Allister hasn’t yet hit the heights of last season

The 26-year-old was consistently brilliant alongside Alexis Mac Allister last season as the Reds powered to the Premier League title, but a string of minor injury problems have prevented the Argentine from reaching the same heights so far this term.

Paul Scholes claimed that the former Brighton man’s performances have suffered in recent weeks, and it appears that Real Madrid hold the same view if they’ve switched their attention to alternative midfield targets.

We’d take these reports with a pinch of salt, as the same Spanish media could come out next week and claim that our number 10 is a top priority at the Bernabeu, but we won’t be complaining if indeed the LaLiga giants have cooled their previous interest in our midfielder.

Mac Allister mightn’t start against Manchester United on Sunday, given his later than planned return to Merseyside after Argentina’s friendly against Puerto Rico was pushed back by 24 hours.

Although his recent displays haven’t been at the same standards that we saw from him last season, we don’t doubt that the 26-year-old will be vital to Liverpool if they’re to retain their Premier League title at the end of this campaign.

You can watch Slot’s post-Chelsea press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube: