Real Madrid are in the thick of a La Liga and Champions League race again this season, but there are still serious weaknesses that need to be ironed out in the squad. There are a lot of big name midfielders, like Premier League stars Rodri and Enzo Fernandez, being linked to Madrid, but arguably their biggest issues are still defensive, even after signing Dean Huijsen from the English top flight last summer transfer window.
One of the easiest signings to make is Liverpool star center back Ibrahima Konate, who still has not signed a new deal with the Reds and will be an impending free agent this summer. After more rumors popped up of the Frenchman's interest in Real, Madrid's midfielder Eduardo Camavinga posted a series of photos of him and Konate hanging out in New York City, winking at the club of his potential recruitment of a French national teammate.
It doesn't sound like Real Madrid are going to heed Camavinga nudging Konate to them. According to a report from The Athletic's Gregg Evans and James Pearce, there is currently no indication that Real will renew their transfer interest in the Liverpool star.
Ibrahima Konate is not Real Madrid's top guy
Ibrahima Konate was linked frequently with Real Madrid to start the 2025/26 season, and many Liverpool fans were accusing him of already having his head in Madrid when he started playing very, very poorly. Konate's form has recovered somewhat, but maybe not coincidentally, the transfer rumors to Real have cooled as well.
They have come back intermittently, but Real Madrid do not seem strongly interest in Konate, with this report from the United Kingdom highlighting the low likelihood of him going to Real despite the ease of signing him as a free agent. He would have high wages and an injury history, and the Madridistas themselves are more excited and intrigued by younger and higher upside options like Nico Schlotterbeck of Borussia Dortmund.
Eduardo Camavinga would love to have his countryman at Real Madrid, and surely his other French teammates like Ferland Mendy, Aurelien Tchouameni, and, of course, Kylian Mbappe would as well. Plus, there is a defensive link, as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Konate won titles together in the Liverpool defense.
But Real Madrid do not appear to be strongly interested. That could change between now and June, but it will be highly interesting to see how Florentino Perez and the club develop their interest in the other targets like Schlotterbeck at BVB, with whom Real always have a great relationship.