Liverpool dominated headlines during the summer transfer window.
The Anfield outfit were one of the busiest teams in the world, with several members of their first-team squad getting sold.
Although a decent chunk of their team were moved on, some chose to stay put despite being in the headlines on more than one occasion.
One of these players was Ibrahima Konate. The centre-back’s contract is set to expire at the end of the 2025-26 season, with Real Madrid among those interested in signing him for free.
However, throughout the summer, there were talks of Los Blancos making an early move for the Frenchman to try and sign him at a cut-rate fee; in the end, this didn’t work out with Konate staying put.

Madrid have also been linked with Alexis Mac Allister, but now, it feels like their interest in the duo is dwindling.
Alexis Mac Allister and Ibrahima Konate are likely to stay at Liverpool this season
Although Konate has been in terrible form this season, he’s still one of Arne Slot’s starting centre-backs.
The same goes for Mac Allister, with the Argentinian often being one of the first names on the Dutchman’s teamsheet.
As mentioned, there have been several moving parts in the futures of the duo, with a new report from Defensa Central stating that Madrid’s interest in Mac Allister is dwindling.
The same goes for Konate and his future, with the likes of Marc Guehi and even Dayot Upamecano being discussed as potential options for Xabi Alonso’s men.
Arne Slot will have a massive weight lifted off his shoulders at Liverpool
At the moment, keeping Konate around may not seem like the best thing to do, but the fact that Slot will have one less problem to worry about in January and the summer will likely lift a massive weight off his shoulders.
Virgil van Dijk’s contract only runs until 2027, so if he doesn’t extend, the Reds will need to find their new leader sooner than most think.
For now, the Dutchman is still Liverpool’s best centre-back option and, with some of the performances he’s already put in this season, it’s hard to imagine Slot’s team without him.
One of Liverpool’s main goals this season will be to try and retain the Premier League title.

They’re well on course to do that with the Anfield outfit sitting second in the table.
However, due to the amount of stress that’s likely been in the back of Konate’s mind, he’s been miles off the pace.
So, with Real Madrid not seeming to be all that interested anymore, he may be able to turn things around and get back to the Konate that Liverpool’s fans all know and love.
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