As we have seen over the last number of years, Real Madrid have made themselves known as masters of the free transfer. The club has signed a number of stars like Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappé and Trent Alexander-Arnold, all as free agents, which has become the new transfer strategy for the club: sign superstars as free agents.
This strategy hasn't changed under the new Xabi Alonso regime. The club is always scouring the transfer market for star players on expiring contracts who fit the Spaniard's philosophy and signing them as free agents.
In the early days under Xabi Alonso, we saw the squad start to take shape and become perfect for his system and philosophy. The club's recent signings have all been strategic and are all players the coach and the club view as key players for the future.
One player available as a free agent next summer who has been strongly linked with a move to the Spanish capital is Liverpool center-back Ibrahima Konaté.
The Frenchman is out of contract in the summer and has rejected three recent contract offers from Liverpool, seemingly making it known he wishes to join Los Blancos next summer. While the club has been hot on his signature for months, and many thought it was all but a done deal, things seem to have taken a drastic U-turn.
Real Madrid just made this painful Ibrahima Konaté realization just in time
As being reported by Transfer News Live on X, Ibrahima Konaté's poor start to the season with Liverpool has left Real Madrid unconvinced about pursuing the defender's signature next summer.
Konaté has long been Real's top target for 2026 and seemed certain to be the next superstar to arrive at the Bernabeu as a free agent next summer but now the club seems split on his signing. The Frenchman has a somewhat lackluster start to the season, putting in performances far below his best and that could be his downfall on a transfer to Real Madrid.
Dean Huijsen, Éder Militão, and Raúl Asencio have all had a solid start to the season under Xabi Alonso, also stacking the deck against Konaté. The Frenchman was no doubt being looked at as the long-term partner for Dean Huijsen, but with Éder Militão back to playing at his best, Konaté's place in the squad may be lost when the 2026 summer transfer window rolls around.