Real Madrid DEMAND €100m Liverpool star runs down his contract

Liverpool are reeling from the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold at the end of his contract. The homegrown hero departs Anfield at the end of his current deal - which expires in a matter of weeks.

It’s widely believed that Trent will end up moving to Real Madrid on a high-profile Bosman transfer. Although right now it appears Los Blancos are keen to have him on board for the FIFA Club World Cup.

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That would require some negotiations between the clubs - as well as Trent foregoing his last month’s salary at Liverpool. But Trent is not the only Liverpool defender that Madrid have got their eyes on.

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The Reds are sailing into choppy waters over Ibrahima Konate and Madrid are ready to pounce. The French defender, 25, is out of contract in 2026 and would appear to be holding all the cards in negotiations over a new deal.

His wage has been reported at £140,000 per week and he wants £200k to renew - according to reports. It puts Liverpool club bosses in an unenviable position - either capitulate to Konate’s demands or else risk losing him on a free transfer next summer.

That countdown clock is ticking and sporting director Richard Hughes must make a decision fast.

Should no new deal be possible then Konate must be sold - with the club having invested a lot of time and money in him since arriving for £35m from RB Leipzig in 2021.

Madrid want Saliba and Konate

But Madrid are playing their games all over again - repeating the tactics that led to the free transfers for players like Kylian Mbappe, David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger in recent teams.

Marca claims that the 15-time European champions are patiently waiting for Konate’s Liverpool contract to expire before making their move for a free deal.

In an item discussing another Liverpool target in Dean Huijsen - also coveted by Madrid - it’s mentioned that the Spanish capital club want William Saliba and Konate.

However - given both defenders are valued at €100m each inside the Bernabeu, they are unwilling to go that high on a transfer fee.

Instead, they are content to play the waiting game until next summer, before striking a deal for a mammoth salary and signing-on fee.

Real Madrid to wait for Konate

“Other names that have appeared on the Real Madrid horizon are Konaté and Saliba, but the two French internationals belong to that group of players that Real Madrid is monitoring and that are waiting for the end of their contracts to approach, a circumstance that will happen in the summer of 2026 for the Liverpool centre-back, and in 2027 for the Arsenal defender,” the report reads.

“They are players valued at €100 million, a sum Real Madrid is unwilling to pay for the arrival of a central defender.”

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It’s a story Liverpool won’t want repeated - given the hurt caused by Alexander-Arnold’s decision - and Richard Hughes has a lot of thinking to do in order to keep Konate out of Madrid’s clutches.