Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso is preparing to sign two Premier League stars before the season starts in a few weeks.
Alonso is gearing up for his first league season as a man for Los Blancos, after leaving Bayer Leverkusen to take over the Spanish giants ahead of the Club World Cup last month.
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Real are hoping for a better season than the last, as they did not win any major silver after being knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and finished as silver medalists in both the league and the Copa del Rey.
According to Marca, Real want to sell three players this summer: Rodrygo, Dani Ceballos and Fran Garcia.
If they can sell the trio, the Spanish newspaper claims that the 15-time European champions will turn their attention to signing a new centre-back.
Real Madrid are reportedly interested in Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konaté, as the France international is under contract until June 2026.
Marca claim that the Spanish giants have “already laid the groundwork” to sign the defender for free next summer, in the same way they signed Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool this summer.
But it is said that Real are considering whether to act now or wait until after the upcoming season.
At the same time, the Spanish club are also said to be interested in William Saliba, and the interest in the Arsenal star should not depend on whether Real succeed in signing Konaté.
Still, signing Saliba would reportedly be “hugely complicated and expensive”, as the player has two years left on his contract in London. Transfermarkt believes Saliba is worth €80 million, while Arsenal value him even higher.
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Of course, Arsenal will be keen to keep the French centre-back, and the club have reportedly already started contract negotiations with him.
Saliba stated in March
: “I am really happy here. I’ve been here for two and a half years now. There is nothing [to suggest that I want to go]. I like it here and want to continue.”
