Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate decision justified as ridiculous Real Madrid wage 'revealed'

Real Madrid-bound defender Ibrahima Konate will supposedly earn a staggering £20.7m per season at the Bernabeu ahead of his arrival from Liverpool.

The France international is on the verge of joining Los Blancos on a free transfer following the breakdown of his contract negotiations with Liverpool, who were initially hopeful of keeping him around.

Back in April, Konate revealed that an agreement was close between him and the Reds, but the two parties ultimately failed to make a breakthrough due to his salary demands.

Konate announced his exit from Liverpool following the end of the 2025-26 season, and despite Real Madrid initially withdrawing their interest, the Spanish giants quickly went back in for the defender.

Blancos president Florentino Perez recently claimed that Real Madrid have already completed the signing of Konate, whose salary packet in the Spanish capital has now been revealed.

Ibrahima Konate 'to earn £430,000 per week' at Real Madrid

According to El Desmarque, Konate will be paid approximately £1.7m gross per month by Real Madrid, which works out at over £400,000 per week.

Furthermore, the 27-year-old will earn a massive signing bonus of £17.3m for agreeing to join Los Blancos, where he will work under returning head coach Jose Mourinho.

Konate will arrive at the Bernabeu following a successful five-year stint at Anfield, where he became a Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup and Community Shield winner, as well as a Champions League finalist.

The France international experienced a disrupted start due to injuries, but he eventually became Virgil van Dijk's first-choice partner and made 183 appearances in all competitions.

Konate scored seven goals and provided four assists during his time on Merseyside, and the defender is currently with the France squad preparing for the 2026 World Cup.

Ibrahima Konate's ridiculous Real Madrid wage shows Liverpool got it right

Purely from a playing standpoint, Liverpool were extremely keen to keep Konate at the club, but not to the point where they were willing to break their wage structure.

Exactly how much Konate was asking for from the Reds is unclear, but he was reportedly after a salary packet that would have put him in line with the club's top earners, such as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.

However, neither Salah nor Van Dijk were on as much as £430,000 per week last season; the former's deal was worth £400,000, while the Dutch defender earned £350,000 per week, as per Capology.

While Konate has played a crucial role in Liverpool's success since 2021, he has not achieved the same legendary status as Van Dijk or Salah, and thus does not command a similar wage.

As a result, Liverpool were right to stick to their guns, and with Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni on the books, Andoni Iraola's side will survive without Konate.