Liverpool are continuing negotiations with Ibrahima Konate over a contract extension, though a full agreement has yet to be reached, according to transfer expert Abdellah Boulma.
The French defender is understood to be happy at Anfield and remains keen to commit his long-term future to the club.
Konate’s current deal with the Reds expires in June 2026.
Real Madrid are said to be keen on signing him as their next high-profile free agent.
The Spanish giants have secured several notable players on free transfers in recent years, including Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger, and David Alaba.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was also set to join Madrid on a free transfer but moved earlier after the Spanish club agreed to pay Liverpool a generous fee to expedite the transfer, driven by their desire to include him for the Club World Cup.
However, the approximately $12million fee Liverpool received for Alexander-Arnold was widely seen as below his true market value.
The Reds are determined to avoid a similar situation with Konate next year.
The French international has also attracted interest from Saudi Arabia, with reports earlier this month claiming he turned down a lucrative offer to move to the Middle East.
Speaking about his future earlier this year, Konate said: “You know, I just want to say one thing: everything you saw on social media is completely fake.
“I didn’t even ask for something from the club. They made me an offer, and I replied to them with something, that is it.
“The rest (speculation) that I want to wait until the end… I want this, all of it is completely fake. And even the big journalists said in November I am very close to signing the deal. I was like: ‘Ah, they have more information than me!?’
“It was not true at that moment and that is why I was a little bit mad because it was not true at this moment.
“I knew at one moment people would think I didn’t want to sign the contract but I was never close to signing it. We will see what will happen.”
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