Real Madrid is reportedly eyeing a strategy similar to the one that helped them secure Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool to potentially bring in Ibrahima Konaté and rising Arsenal star Myles Lewis-Skelly next summer.
In recent years, Madrid has been a master at navigating the free agent market, snatching up big names like Kylian Mbappé, Antonio Rüdiger, and David Alaba without a transfer fee after their contracts expired at previous clubs.
The club continues this trend, having worked discreetly this summer to entice Alexander-Arnold not to renew with Liverpool to join their ranks.
However, they did end up paying a fee to secure the fullback in time for the upcoming Club World Cup.
According to MARCA, Madrid is setting its sights on future free-agent signings for next summer, considering two players from the Premier League.
They are particularly interested in Liverpool’s Konaté and the emerging talent of Arsenal’s Lewis-Skelly, both of whom will be entering the final year of their contracts at the beginning of the 2025–26 season.
According to MARCA, there’s a prevailing sentiment among teams that “Real Madrid is to be feared” in the transfer market, a perspective reinforced by their recent successes.
Alexander-Arnold’s fluent Spanish upon his arrival speaks volumes; it suggests that this transfer had been in the works for quite some time.
Liverpool might be anxious that Madrid’s allure could lead Konaté to consider letting his contract run down at Anfield before making a move.
The strong French defender, who was pivotal to Liverpool’s Premier League triumph, has reportedly become their top target. However, Valencia’s Cristhian Mosquera is also on their radar.
In contrast, Arsenal appears to be taking the Madrid links in stride.
Fabrizio Romano indicates that the Gunners are optimistic about Lewis-Skelly’s contract renewal, noting that discussions are believed to be in “advanced stages.”