Real Madrid confirmed the signing of defender Ibrahima Konaté from Liverpool on a free transfer. The French international will join on a four-year deal when his contract expires on June 30, 2026.
Konaté made 183 appearances for Liverpool over five years after signing from RB Leipzig in 2021. During his time at Anfield, the defender won the Premier League title, FA Cup, and two League Cups. He joins Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella as manager José Mourinho's first signings since returning for a second spell at Real Madrid.
Mourinho has accelerated Real Madrid's transfer activity despite the World Cup being under way. In addition to Konaté and Silva's free transfers, the club signed Marc Cucurella from Chelsea for £51.8m and has lined up a £17m deal for Inter's right-back Denzel Dumfries, with newly re-elected president Florentino Pérez overseeing the deals.
Konaté's departure affects Liverpool's defensive depth and team strength assessments in the betting market, with season performance projections likely to shift following the loss of an experienced defender. Real Madrid strengthen their backline under Mourinho.