Real Madrid signs French defender Ibrahima Konaté on a free transfer

Real Madrid have announced the signing of French international defender Ibrahima Konaté on a free transfer after his contract with Liverpool expired. The 27-year-old, currently with the France squad at the World Cup in the United States, has committed to the Spanish club until 2030.

Konaté becomes the third major signing for Real Madrid in the current transfer window, following the arrivals of left-back Marc Cucurella from Chelsea and Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva from Manchester City. The club is also reportedly pursuing Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández and Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries as part of a broader squad overhaul under newly appointed head coach José Mourinho.

The French center-back joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in July 2021 and established himself as a key figure in the Reds' defense, making 183 appearances and scoring seven goals. During his time at Anfield, he won the Premier League in the 2024/25 season, the FA Cup in 2022, the EFL Cup in 2022 and 2024, and the FA Community Shield in 2022.

According to reports, Konaté had been in discussions with Liverpool over a contract extension since last year, but talks broke down after he reportedly requested a salary increase from €80,000 per week to €200,000 per week. Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain were also monitoring the player, but Real Madrid made him their top defensive target following an injury to Éder Militão in early May.

Konaté began his professional career at Sochaux in France before moving to RB Leipzig. He has earned 28 caps for the French national team since his debut in 2022 and is currently part of the squad competing in the World Cup.