Coup like Mbappé or Alaba
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Real Madrid did it again and signed a well-known player on a free transfer. With Ibrahima Konaté from Liverpool FC, the Royals are bringing in their most valuable professional with a contract that ends in the summer. The club has already achieved this several times in the past with prominent examples such as Kylian Mbappé, David Alaba and, most recently, Bernardo Silva. The 27-year-old central defender signs a working paper in the Spanish capital until 2030.
Konaté moved from RB Leipzig to Liverpool in the summer of 2021 for 40 million euros, where he played 183 games in which he was involved in eleven goals. The French international won five titles with the Reds, including the 2024/25 championship. “Five years ago I came here as a young player with big dreams. Today I leave with memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” Konaté told fans on social media in May. “This farewell is not easy for me, but it is time for a new challenge and a new chapter.”
With a market value of 45 million euros, Konaté is the most valuable professional with an expiring working paper. Two years ago, Mbappé, then the world’s most valuable footballer at 180 million euros, moved to the Spanish capital after his contract with PSG ended. Alaba from FC Bayern in 2021 and Antonio Rüdiger from Chelsea FC in 2022 also followed this path. Alaba’s market value was 55 million euros, Rüdiger’s was 40 million euros. Four of the 15 most valuable transfers in history for which no transfer fee was paid now go to the Royals. However, these bills of exchange are far from free, as they usually involve a large amount of earnest money. This should also be the case with Konaté.
As of now, there are five central defenders in the Real Madrid squad including Konaté for 2026/27. Alaba will leave the club for free in the summer, Rüdiger is close to an extension. Coach José Mourinho can also rely on Dean Huijsen, Éder Militão and Raúl Asencio. In the past season, various players in the center of defense were unavailable, so midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni was used in this position at times.