If Liverpool was granted the power to snap one team out of existence, Real Madrid would surely be very near the top of the list of candidates. The perennial pest has already lured Trent Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer this summer, and could soon be lining up somebody else.
Imagine a world without Real Madrid. For one thing, Jurgen Klopp would have walked away from Anfield with three Champions League titles to his name — those two extras would have been enough to make Liverpool the joint-most successful team in the history of the competition (Milan would also move up to eight, having been credited with the 1957/58 final it lost to Los Blancos).
Liverpool might also have been able to land Jude Bellingham a couple of years back, although it has to be said that the summer recruitment of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo hasn’t worked out too badly. It seems near-certain that Alexander-Arnold would be signing an extension with his boyhood club right now instead of walking away.
Unfortunately, however, Real Madrid is all too real. And it seems to be on a quest to be the greatest possible irritant to Liverpool.
It has been a busy first year at the club for Richard Hughes. Juggling talks with Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, there has been little time to think of much else.
Yet alongside all that, there have been discussions with Ibrahima Konate over a new deal. And so far they have been entirely fruitless.
The Frenchman is now set to enter the final 12 months of his Anfield deal, raising the prospect of yet another saga. And it seems Real Madrid could be recycling its Alexander-Arnold playbook.
If Arsene Wenger is to be believed, Real is likely to have contacted Alexander-Arnold years ago, even though it has only been allowed to make an approach since January. By that token, the word may well already have reached Konate that the Spanish giant would be keen on him seeing out his deal and then moving to the Bernabeu.
Because according to Marca, Konate is one of the players “on the horizon” for Real Madrid, along with William Saliba of Arsenal. But with both clubs valuing their assets at around $113 million (£85 million), it intends to once again wait for them to become free agents.
(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal at least has until 2027. But for Liverpool, this unfortunate situation presents an immediate dilemma.
It will be desperate to avoid an Alexander-Arnold repeat, where it lost a hugely valuable player for nothing. So if Konate is showing no interest in renewing, it may have to start thinking about a sale this summer.
Yet even that is not exactly straightforward. If Konate has his heart set on Real Madrid, he will not agree to go anywhere else, and you can bet that a bid from the Bernabeu will not be forthcoming.
And even if a transfer could be arranged, it would leave Hughes with some serious recruitment to do to ensure that Slot still has a competitive squad for next season. Any new signing would need some time to get up to speed, jeopardizing the bid to retain the Premier League title.
Worst of all, though, is the long-term impact. With Van Dijk turning 34 in the summer, Konate is meant to be the long-term leader of the back line, the one who eventually takes a new defensive partner under his wing.
Should it come to it, Liverpool will back its ability to go back to the drawing board and find somebody else to take the defense forward — nobody is bigger than the club, and Slot will build his dynasty around those who want to be there. But once again, the club is left wishing Real Madrid would just disappear.
