A wall painting in tribute to the former Liverpool Diogo Jota player is seen outside the stadium before the MD1 League match of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 between Liverpool FC and Atletico de Madrid in Anfield on September 17, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Clive Mason / Getty Images photo)
Arsenal has now agreed with a new agreement with the star defender William Saliba.
The French international has agreed to sign a five -year contract with the London team, and development will be a blow for Liverpool.
Real Madrid to put pressure for Ibrahima Konate now
Real Madrid seems to have an eye on Saliba and Ibrahima Konaté as potential options for the summer window. With Saliba signing a new long -term contract, the signing will be almost impossible for the Spanish club. Arsenal demanded an absurd sum of money for him. Therefore, Real Madrid should now put pressure for a movement to sign the Liverpool star.
Konate will be a free agent in summer, and he would be available for a reasonable amount of money. It will be interesting to see if Real Madrid can convince the defender to join them for a free transfer. They will be able to obtain a pre-contract agreement with the player when the transfer window will reopen in January.
Can Liverpool keep the Konate?
As Mark Brusse reported on the daily briefing, Liverpool did not abandon the hope of agreeing on a new agreement with the French international, but nothing has yet been agreed. There is cautious optimism within the club, but the last development concerning Saliba have “people sweating inside Anfield”.
Liverpool recently lost Trent Alexander-Arnold against Real Madrid during a free transfer. They will not want history to repeat itself. Konate is a key player for Liverpool, and losing it would be a devastating blow for the club. They are already lacking in depth in the defensive unit, and the loss of the French international will massively weaken the team.
In addition, losing key players regularly on free transfers would establish a precedent dangerous for the club. It will be interesting to see how the situation takes place.
