Real Madrid want a new centre-back this summer, with David Alaba and Eder Militao battling injuries. However, the club will not pay for William Saliba (Arsenal) or Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool).
According to Marca, Madrid will wait for Saliba and Konate to enter the final year of their contracts before swooping. Los Blancos want to sign the pair as free agents.
Arsenal are trying to renew Saliba's deal, which expires in 2027, while Liverpool hold talks over Konate, whose case is more urgent as his contract expires at the end of next season.
The pair are two of the best defenders in the Premier League and play together for the French national team.
Saliba has been a mainstay for the defensively resolute Arsenal. They held the best defensive record in the Premier League last season and are on course to repeat the trick this term.
The 24-year-old is reportedly holding out on a new deal to see if Arsenal can get over their hump and win trophies.
Meanwhile, Konate, who has formed a sturdy pairing with stalwart Virgil Van Dijk, is entering the final year of his deal, and fans are wary of losing him to Real Madrid at the end of next season.
After the Trent Alexander-Arnold debacle, the Kop might lose its collective mind if Konate walks for free.
Both Arsenal and Liverpool find themselves in precarious positions as Real Madrid lurk. They must act fast.
Both defenders are elite talents, and for Real Madrid, picking up either (or both) on a free would be a masterstroke in the transfer market.
But for Arsenal and Liverpool, losing cornerstone players without a fee would be nothing short of a disaster.
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta needs to make getting Saliba to renew his contract a top priority. The same goes for his Liverpool counterpart, Richard Hughes.
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