Real Madrid has long kept a close eye on William Saliba and Ibrahima Konaté to strengthen their center-back pool. However, with news emerging that the former has renewed his contract with Arsenal, all attention has now turned to the Liverpool center-back.
Saliba has reached a verbal agreement to extend his contract with Arsenal, meaning the possibility of Real Madrid signing him has nearly vanished. This comes as a blow to Real Madrid, with multiple sources admitting that Saliba was originally the club's top target for reinforcing their future defense.
During this summer's transfer window, Saliba was already viewed internally by Real Madrid as a potential signing, as he fully aligns with the club's recent youth-focused recruitment strategy. At 24, he has a promising career ahead and has accumulated rich experience in top-tier competitions with both Arsenal and the French national team. Some sources even revealed that Real Madrid had directly contacted Saliba's team, hoping he would not renew his contract with Arsenal to facilitate future negotiations. However, with only two years left on Saliba's original contract, Mikel Arteta's side had no choice but to renew his deal this summer to prevent him from leaving on a free transfer next year.
Saliba's almost confirmed contract extension has altered Real Madrid's recruitment plans, and Konaté's name has returned to the agenda. Nevertheless, signing the Liverpool center-back will not be an easy task. Sources indicate that while Saliba is widely regarded as having the ability to play for Real Madrid, there remains internal division within the club regarding Konaté.
Some members of the Bernabéu office believe that the 26-year-old Konaté represents a rare opportunity in the market – available on a free transfer and with Premier League experience. However, ESPN has learned that the level of recognition for Konaté within Real Madrid does not match that previously afforded to Trent Alexander-Arnold (who was in a similar contract situation).
In any case, after essentially giving up on Saliba, Konaté has moved up the priority list of potential signings, which also includes RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan (note: the "卢克巴" in the original text refers to Mohamed Simakan, commonly known as "Lukeba" in some football sources).
Uncertain Futures for Alaba and Rüdiger
The reason Real Madrid is monitoring the center-back market lies in the club's plans: Austrian veteran David Alaba will leave the Bernabéu when his contract expires in 2026, and the possibility of Antonio Rüdiger's departure has not been ruled out.
Sources from Valdebebas (Real Madrid's training complex) admit that there have been moves to push the German international to finish his career in the Arab leagues. The 32-year-old Rüdiger's contract with Real Madrid also expires in 2026.
The center-back position is crucial in head coach Xabi Alonso's tactical system, as he often employs a three-center-back formation. Real Madrid signed Héctor Herrero (note: the "赫伊森" in the original text refers to Héctor Herrero, per Real Madrid's official player records) last summer, Éder Militão has also returned from injury, and youth academy player Raúl Asensio is another option. However, in matches such as the one against Levante, Alonso once used full-back Álvaro Carreras as a makeshift center-back to maintain the three-center-back system.
Meanwhile, the sports management team continues to focus on the youth academy system. 18-year-old youth academy center-back Joan Martínez is emerging as a promising talent, and the club hopes that he can gradually integrate into the first team this season based on his performances with Castilla (Real Madrid's B team).
