'Calls me every two hours' - Ibrahima Konate cracks Real Madrid transfer joke as Kylian Mbappe encourages fellow Frenchman to follow Trent Alexander-Arnold out of Liverpool

Determined not to repeat the painful Trent Alexander-Arnold saga, Liverpool’s officials are scrambling to tie Konate down to new terms, but they fear he has already agreed to join Madrid. The Merseysiders have been trying to convince the France international to commit his future to Anfield since the beginning of the year, as the club do not want him to leave for nothing in 2026.

Liverpool sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for £34 million ($46m) in the summer transfer window and signed 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni from Parma for €35 million (£30m/$40m). The Reds had almost secured a move for Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, but it collapsed in the final hour of deadline day.

During an interview with French TV channel TF1, Konate jokingly claimed that France captain Mbappe is putting pressure on him to switch to Madrid next year. The Reds defender said: "He calls me every two hours! No, no, no."

Konate and Mbappe will be back in action on Tuesday as France take on Iceland in their second World Cup qualifying game. They will then return to their respective clubs ahead of the end of the break.