The tugboat of war between Real Madrid and Liverpool for defender Ibrahima Konate has already started, and not long after Los Blancos won the battle for Trent Alexander-Arnold. However, that tug of war became slightly less complicated.
So far, Konate has rejected all Liverpool attempts to renew his contract, which will expire next summer. Determined not to see him follow Alexander-Arnold to the Santiago Bernabeu, apparently Liverpool seem to be getting great in their attempts to keep the Frenchman. If he does not agree with a new deal, is the word he will be on the transfer market with a price tag of € 50 million by the end of the window.
According to Christian Falk on CF Bayern Insider, Bayern Munich will probably not move to Konate. They will only look for a defender if Kim Min-Jae is moving this summer, and Falk explains that this does not look soon. There is no serious offer on the table for him and they expect him to stay. This makes life clearly easier for Real Madrid, because there is no prospect that Bayern is big at Konate this summer and wipe him out of their grasping. Liverpool loses a potential buyer, but it is also an option less for Konate to consider in the case of leaving the club.
Real Madrid feels that they are in pole position for Konate. This summer they will only consider a relocation for the Frenchman if a deal can be closed for € 20-25 million. Not only that, Madrid's word is that Konate is only interested in moving to the Bernabeu, and so they feel that all cards are in their favor. Liverpool will certainly feel the pressure to resolve his future as quickly as possible.