Ibrahima Konate is apparently very close to becoming a Real Madrid player, with reports from BBC Sport suggesting the France international is in advanced talks over a free transfer to the Spanish giants following his departure from Liverpool. Not bad for a Tuesday, lad.
Konate has been one of the better centre-backs in the Premier League when he has stayed fit, and that last bit is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. The man can play, no question about it. He is strong, quick, reads the game well and has that French defender composure that makes it all look a bit too easy. The problem has always been keeping him available for the full season, which Liverpool will quietly admit has been a frustration during his time at the club.
For Real Madrid, this is exactly the kind of deal Carlo Ancelotti would love. A proven top-level defender arriving for nothing, bringing Champions League experience and international pedigree with him. Madrid have a habit of pulling off these free transfer coups and it almost always works out for them, which is deeply annoying for the rest of us who watch clubs like Manchester United spend fortunes on players who then decide they fancy a seat on the bench.
From Liverpool's perspective, letting Konate walk without a fee will sting a little. He still had value in the market and the club will need to reinvest wisely to replace that quality at the back. Arne Slot has done an impressive job at Anfield but losing a centre-back of Konate's quality for free is not ideal planning, whatever the circumstances behind the exit turn out to be.
For Konate personally, this feels like the right move at the right time. He is 25, entering what should be the peak years of his career, and joining the biggest club in the world gives him the platform to cement his place as one of Europe's elite defenders. If he can stay fit at the Bernabeu, he is going to look very good indeed.
Let me know your thoughts.