Liverpool’s focus on building for the future under Arne Slot has not stopped speculation around our defence, and fresh reports from Spain have now put Ibou Konate at the centre of transfer headlines.According to Lewis Steele of Mail Sport, Real Madrid are increasingly confident they can sign the France international on a free transfer next summer, with his current deal at Anfield due to expire in 2026.Real Madrid confident of signing Konate(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Sources in Spain suggest, according to Steele, that Madrid view Konate’s situation as almost identical to the one Trent Alexander-Arnold faced last season before his cut-price move to the Bernabeu.Confidential reports claim senior Madrid figures have already discussed the possibility of an agreement, with the option to formally approach Konate arriving on January 1.Despite this pressure, the 26-year-old has not told Liverpool he wants to leave, and negotiations over a new contract began as far back as last November. Talks, however, have not yet resulted in a breakthrough.Speaking to the press at the end of last season, Konate made it clear where his heart was:“To win a trophy was just amazing. And today, to win the Premier League, I know I have a lot of objectives with this club: to become a leader, to win everything. I am very happy here.”Konate jokes about Mbappe while Liverpool push for deal(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Adding more intrigue, the former RB Leipzig defender recently joked on French TV that international team-mate Kylian Mbappe is “calling me every two hours” about Madrid.Liverpool, though, remain calm and continue to push for an agreement, with no indication from the player’s camp that he wishes to follow Alexander-Arnold to Spain.Paul Joyce shared the firm stance that the club would ‘not beg’ any player to remain at Anfield, meaning these next few months are crucial.Losing Konate for free would be a major setback, the ball is now firmly in the court of Liverpool’s hierarchy to ensure our No.5 commits his peak years to Anfield, rather than becoming the next defender Madrid snatch away.Join our channel of readers on WhatsApp to get the day’s top stories straight to your mobileThe post Steele claims Madrid believe they already have agreement with Konate appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.