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According to a report by Caught Offside, Real Madrid has entered the race to sign Liverpool star Ibrahima Konate. The French defender plays alongside another Los Blancos target Trent Alexander-Arnold and is considered an option to bolster the European Champions' defense.
Konate joined the English side in the summer of 2021 from German outfit RB Leipzig in a reported €40 million deal. The Frenchman has played 112 times for The Merseyside club, bagging five goals and three assists to help the team to an FA Cup and two League Cups.
The defender is contracted to Liverpool until the summer of 2026 and will be available to discuss terms with foreign clubs like Real Madrid in 12 months. The English club will be keen to keep a hold of the 25-year-old defender and avoid the risk of losing the star on a potential free transfer as they do with Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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"It would make perfect sense for Real Madrid to sign Virgil van Dijk as well as Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool when their contracts expire this summer" - Pundit makes transfer claim
Former England striker Tony Cascarino has urged Real Madrid to sign Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold. The two defenders are in the final months of their contracts with the Merseyside club.
Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah have been the spine of the Reds team that won the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, and two League Cups. The trio are in danger of leaving the club on a free transfer in the summer amid a wait to extend their deals.
Speaking in a recent interview with the Times via Yard Barker, Cascarino urged Los Blancos to sign the two defenders in the soon to be out of contract trio, saying:
"It would make perfect sense for Real Madrid to sign Virgil van Dijk as well as Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool when their contracts expire this summer. Real need a high-class centre-back and Van Dijk is one of the top five in the world. Carlo Ancelotti likes to work with experienced players and at 33, Van Dijk can play at the highest level for maybe another four years."
"In recent times, Real’s transfer policy has shifted to successfully target free agents, including Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba and Kylian Mbappe. It seems like a no-brainer."
The Spanish giants have not shown an interest in signing the Dutch defender in the summer despite his availability to discuss a pre-contract deal. Both teams currently sit atop their domestic leagues and will be focused on ending the campaign well before addressing recruitment concerns in the summer.
