Mourinho gets his man: First Real Madrid signing completed

Updated: 8 Jun 2026 11:59 BST | 4 min read

Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Jose Mourinho may not officially be Real Madrid head coach, but the Portuguese has already wrapped up his first signing of his Bernabeu return.

Article continues under the video

Ibrahima Konate, who deleted the mention of Liverpool from his Instagram account on Sunday, has completed his signing for Los Blancos, according to reports from RMC Sport.

The 27-year-old France international defender, who had previously announced his departure from Anfield, has signed a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid that will run until 2030.

Current ETV

Ibrahima Konaté

D (C)

Liverpool

Ibrahima Konaté

D (C)

Liverpool

ETV Range

€28.8M - €35.2M

Konate the first of many new signings

Konate, who is currently on international duty with France and is poised to play a role in the World Cup, is set to be a foundation stone of Real Madrid’s defence for the coming season under Mourinho.

Los Blancos were weak in the heart of their rearguard last term as a combination of injuries and poor form left them depleted. Konate will arrive as a free agent to bolster this particular sector of the team.

A verbal agreement had previously been in place between the centre-back and Real Madrid pending Florentino Perez’s re-election as president, and with this now confirmed, Konate has signed his contract with the Bernabeu giants.

© IMAGO - Ibrahima Konate will leave Liverpool at the end of his contract

He is set to be part of a wave of announcements made in the coming days to formalise some important deals.

Mourinho arriving as manager, and having a major say in transfer policy, will clearly be the biggest announcement, while Denzel Dumfries will join in a €20m deal from Inter Milan and Antonio Rudiger is expected to renew his contract.

Marca, meanwhile, reports that another three of signings will follow, not including the €150m Galactico that Perez has promised he will bid for.

Analysis: Konate to Real Madrid is an excellent fit

Konate looks like he will be a very effective signing on paper for Real Madrid, according to data analytics firm SciSports.

Its Career Advice tool shows that Los Blancos have a Club Fit score of 75, which is a strong showing. This is calculated using a variety of metrics, including potential development, game time, playing style and formation.

© IMAGO - Ibrahima Konate, Real Madrid Club Fit

© IMAGO - Real Madrid's centre-back options including Konate

Konate will arrive at the Bernabeu as Real Madrid’s most talented centre-back, in the opinion of SciSports. His SciSkill – which is calculated using hundreds of in-game data points – eclipses that of any other centre-back currently on Los Blancos’ books.

The signing of the Frenchman therefore looks like a very smart piece of business from Mourinho, who is known to build his teams from the back forward. Konate will provide Real Madrid with the stable defensive base their new manager craves.

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