Real Madrid‘s defensive rebuild under new manager Xabi Alonso is facing fresh complications, with new reports emerging on two challenging fronts for the Spanish giants.
Firstly, their long-running pursuit of Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konaté has been threatened by the late arrival of a major rival. According to CaughtOffside, arch-rivals FC Barcelona have now entered the race for the French defender, adding a new layer of urgency for Madrid to complete a deal.
Liverpool, for their part, are understood to be resigned to selling Konaté this summer to avoid losing him on a free transfer when his contract expires next year. The club is reportedly willing to accept offers in the region of £40 million.
Secondly, the push for a new top-tier defender is reportedly being fueled by concerns over a current key player. A report from Spanish outlet Qué claims manager Xabi Alonso has “major concerns” about the defensive capabilities of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The report dramatically states that Alonso is being “kept awake at night” trying to figure out how to integrate the former Liverpool star’s attacking style into his more defensively structured system.
These concerns over Alexander-Arnold help to explain why the club is so determined to sign elite defensive reinforcements. They must now fend off their biggest rivals, Barcelona, for the signature of Konaté, a player they seemingly need to solve the complex tactical and defensive challenges facing the new manager.