Real Madrid News
Real Madrid will sign Premier League defender on a free transfer if Perez wins – report
Real Madrid are gearing up for their first presidential election in 20 years, as Florentino Perez looks to retain power in a fight against businessman Enrique Riquelme.
Perez’s win, though, is almost taken for granted, which is why Real Madrid have continued their various operations in the market, including Ibrahima Konate.
Recent reports have indicated that the Liverpool defender has once again become a hot topic at Real Madrid, with the player set to leave the club on a free transfer.
Konate will sign if Perez remains president
According to El Chiringuito, Real Madrid will sign Konate on a free transfer if Florentino Perez ends up winning the presidential election.
It appears the Real Madrid president is a keen admirer of the Frenchman and would help facilitate the move once he wins the election.
It must be noted that Konate was a top target for Real Madrid half a season ago, when it looked like the player was going to leave Liverpool at the end of the season.
However, his form dropped soon after and it appeared he was close to extending his contract. This led to speculations dying down, though now Konate has made the decision to leave Anfield.
Real Madrid make contacts
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano adds that Real Madrid are in contact with Konate’s camp once again after initially cooling interest in the player earlier in the year.
Romano states that Real Madrid are weighing this option against an important offer Konate has received from Saudi Arabia.
It is clear that Los Blancos are keen on a new centre-back and the Frenchman fits the bill well, due to his experience and age-profile.
Konate can compete with the likes of Dean Huijsen and Eder Militao for a place in the starting eleven next season. And given his status as a free transfer, he is sure to be a massive coup for the club.
Real Madrid will be looking to pick up their fifth win of the 2026/27 La Liga season when they take on Elche CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight.
With 12 points from five games, Los Blancos are currently second in the league table, three points below leaders FC Barcelona.
As such, the Spanish capital club will be eager to get the win and close the gap to the top.
Guler starts, Bellingham rested
Ahead of kickoff, Real Madrid have announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Elche, with Jose Mourinho making some important changes.
For starters, Arda Guler is back in the lineup after appearing as a substitute in the win over Rayo Vallecano.
Interestingly, however, he starts in the attacking midfield role, with Mourinho opting to rest Jude Bellingham, who has started all of Real Madrid’s games so far.
That also means that Yan Diomande retains his place in the team, starting for a second time in a row on the right wing. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. continue in their respective positions in attack.
Another notable change sees Aurelien Tchouameni make his first start of the season after recovering from injury and making two appearances off the bench.
He replaces Bernardo Silva as Federico Valverde’s partner in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella come in as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen slot in at centre-back in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 15, 2026
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Dale
June 2, 2026 at 12:17 pm
So is Perez thinking that the promise of Konate playing centre back for RM will gain him votes??? Has he actually seen him play last season