Verbal deal struck: Madrid's defensive rebuild starts with Konate

The club elections at Real Madrid are in full swing, but that doesn't mean that crucial squad changes can wait. On the contrary, they are even more urgent than all the election campaigns in the world.

Los Blancos' defence was poor last season, to say the least, and the rebuilding process has to begin as soon as possible. Today, rather than tomorrow.

And, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the reconstruction will start with Ibrahima Konate!

Hey, Florentino, sign Declan Rice!

The Frenchman and the 15-time Champions League winners have reportedly agreed on a four-year deal, though nothing will be made official until Florentino Perez wins the elections, scheduled for June 7. As per the latest reports, the 79-year-old enjoys a significant advantage over his rival candidate, Enrique Riquelme, and is likely to start his eighth presidential term very soon.

A year ago, Madrid had already been interested in Konate. However, they cooled their interest once the centre-back hit a dip in form.

Nevertheless, desperate times call for desperate measures. Eder Militao has been seriously injury-prone, Dean Huijsen's performances have been quite subpar, and David Alaba left Santiago Bernabeu, so another solution is urgently needed.

Comunicado oficial: The Special One is back at Bernabeu!

Hence, Los Blancos have turned their attention back to a familiar target. And once again, Konate's potential arrival won't come without risks.

His performances for Liverpool last season were inconsistent, he often lacked focus and was late in decisive moments.

That's something Madrid cannot afford, especially now when they desperately want to end Barcelona's dominance. Yet, Konate may be their best shot at the moment.