Speaking on Telefoot, Ibrahima Konaté admitted that Mbappé went to great lengths to convince him to join Real Madrid, even calling him twice an hour.
Ibrahima Konaté is becoming one of the most talked-about names in the upcoming transfer window. The French center-back has just one year left on his contract with Liverpool and will be fully entitled to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs starting in January.
Having joined The Reds from RB Leipzig in 2021, Konaté quickly established himself and became Virgil van Dijk’s most reliable partner. To date, the 26-year-old has made 136 appearances in all competitions, helping Liverpool win the Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield, and two Carabao Cup titles. However, his future at Anfield is currently surrounded by uncertainty.
Konaté acknowledged that he has attracted interest from several European giants. Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and even clubs in Saudi Arabia have all been mentioned as potential destinations. During a national team call-up, Konaté accidentally revealed an interesting story while talking about Real Madrid.
In a “Yes/No” game on the Téléfoot channel, host Séverine Parlakou asked, “Spanish media say you will join Real Madrid next season. Is Kylian Mbappé putting pressure on you to go?”
“Mbappé calls me every two hours!” Konaté replied with a big laugh. He also denied having learned Spanish, emphasizing that he has not made a final decision about his future.
While Konaté might have intended it as a joke, for manager Arne Slot, it is a serious concern. Liverpool recently lost vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid just a few months ago, after the defender refused to extend his contract and left on a free transfer. According to talkSPORT, The Reds still received £10 million, but clearly losing Konaté as well would be a major blow.
Former Liverpool player Jermaine Pennant commented:
“If Liverpool are pursuing Marc Guehi, that tells me Konaté might be on his way out. I think this could be exactly the same situation as Real Madrid and Alexander-Arnold. Liverpool could tell Guehi, ‘Wait until your contract is up, and then we’ll bring you in on a free transfer.’”
In fact, Liverpool came very close to signing Guehi from Crystal Palace for £35 million. A transfer application had been submitted, but Palace was forced to cancel the deal because they could not find a replacement in time.
Instead, The Reds brought in young talent Giovanni Leoni from Italy for a fee of £26 million. The 18-year-old is seen as “Van Dijk’s successor” and is expected to spend time acclimating before taking on a bigger role next season.
Former striker Troy Deeney also expressed confidence in the plan:
“Giovanni Leoni will get enough game time this season to get used to Liverpool and the pressure here. But I think next year, when [Ibrahima] Konaté leaves, the transition will be very smooth… I can even see Liverpool playing with a three-center-back formation.”
Clearly, although Konaté was only joking that Mbappé calls him “every two hours,” the possibility of the center-back leaving Anfield is no longer far-fetched. If Liverpool do not quickly offer a contract extension, it is likely that Konaté will become the next player to follow in Alexander-Arnold’s footsteps and move to Real Madrid.