Liverpool transfer news: The 'serious' reason why Real Madrid dropped interest in Arne Slot star ahead of January

Real Madrid dropped their interest in Ibrahima Konate due to the Liverpool defender's serious mistakes and lack of consistency, the latest report has claimed.

The Reds are preparing to take on Leeds United at Anfield on Thursday in their first game of 2026, and while there are some selection doubts, fans can be certain that Virgil van Dijk and Konate will feature in the heart of the backline.

Van Dijk has at times struggled this campaign, but his form is perhaps forgivable considering he has been asked to deal with a significant number of attacks.

Konate has also had a similarly demanding workload, but at no point this season has he managed to overcome his issues, and his form has fuelled speculation that he has found it difficult to concentrate on the pitch due to the fact his contract expires at the end of 2025-26.

Spanish publication Defensacentral claim that while Real Madrid had interest in the 26-year-old, the club's head scout Juni Calafat was central to Los Blancos abandoning their pursuit due to concerns about Konate's errors and lack of focus.

Ibrahima Konate: Why has Liverpool defender struggled?

Reds boss Arne Slot has been critical of Konate this term, insisting that he has been "at the crime scene" far too often.

The Liverpool centre-back has struggled to play out from defence this campaign in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, with opponents like Manchester City targeting the Frenchman when pressing.

Konate has never been an expert passer, so perhaps Slot is at fault for his failure to identify the need to sign a buildup specialist.

However, Slot cannot be blamed for the 26-year-old's poor decision making when protecting goalkeeper Alisson Becker, and while all defenders suffer mishaps, it is concerning that smaller errors have often snowballed into costly mistakes.

It is ultimately impossible to know whether Konate's uncertain future has impacted his performances on the pitch, but fans will naturally connect his contract situation to his poor displays.

How many centre-backs do Liverpool need?

Liverpool could not have predicted that summer signing Giovanni Leoni would have picked up a serious knee injury in his first game for the club, but his absence has highlighted just how short the club are at the back.

Joe Gomez, Van Dijk and Konate are the only other three centre-backs at Anfield, but the former is currently sidelined and has frequently picked up injuries.

Van Dijk is 34 and Konate could leave at the end of the season, so while adding a centre-back in January may help alleviate some of the team's immediate problems, the Reds will likely need to act in the summer.

Marc Guehi is a realistic option for either the winter or the summer considering he will be a free agent at the end of the season, but adding another star such as Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck would be sensible.