Liverpool supporters are still trying to process the news that Trent Alexander-Arnold is on the verge of departing Anfield. Nonetheless, a recent report suggests that Real Madrid might already be setting their sights on Ibrahima Konate for a similar move.

Alexander-Arnold is expected to join Madrid as a free agent in the near future. The right-back might attract a small transfer fee, enabling him to join his new club slightly earlier and participate in the forthcoming FIFA Club World Cup.

During Sunday’s Premier League match, some Liverpool fans at Anfield expressed their discontent towards the right-back, booing as his name was announced before the game and again when he entered as a substitute in the second half. This situation had been brewing for a few years, with initial contract negotiations postponed from the summer of 2023. Alexander-Arnold explored other possibilities and concluded that seeking a new challenge was the best path forward, despite Liverpool’s offer of a substantial pay increase.

The worry from a Liverpool perspective is that Real Madrid have set a precedent that works.

The club waited for Kylian Mbappe to become a free agent in 2024 and were hoping to recruit Leny Yoro in a similar way this year, until Manchester United blew them out of the water last summer.

Madrid are hoping to sign Dean Huijsen, whose release clause caps his transfer fee at £50m (€59m) and can be paid in three instalments. But, according to AS, even a successful pursuit of the 20-year-old wouldn’t make the club “forget” Liverpool centre-back Konate, whose current deal expires in 2026.

Madrid have been masking problems in the centre of defence for too long and need to address the long-term future. Antonio Rudiger, who has undergone surgery after playing through “severe pain” for much of this campaign, and David Alaba will both turn 33 at their next birthday, while Eder Militao is currently sidelined with a second ACL tear in as many seasons.

Soon to be 26, Konate is entering what ought to be the peak years of his career and there are no guarantees, as has been the case with Alexander-Arnold, that he will sign a new Liverpool contract.