With Jose Mourinho’s appointment as Real Madrid’s new manager, he has secured yet another signing as Ibrahima Konate has marked his arrival to the decorated Spanish Club, signing a 4-year deal. The French Centre-Back also known as ‘The Mountain’ ended his stint with the Liverpool and has now joined Real Madrid on a free transfer, making him the second player from Anfield after Trent Alexander-Arnold to make his way to the Spanish Club.
Why is Ibrahima Konate known as ‘The Mountain’?
The French defender was dubbed as ‘The Mountain’ by former Spanish goalkeeper Adrián San Miguel, given he is easier to jump over and get around. His height of 1.94 centimeters and clocking a speed of 36.07 km/hr makes him a guarantee for one-on-one battles. Despite a sub-par season for Liverpool, Konate emerged with flying colours, becoming the second Premier League defender to successfully complete the most overall duels, achieving 220 out of 319 and ranked fourth to win the most aerial duels, doing so in 124 out of 174. Notably, Alexander-Arnold seems to have benefitted the most with Konate by his side, given the latter’s outstanding defending skills. During a fun interview on The Daily Mail though, Konate said:
“I can’t cover for him all the time, I’m human! It may have made me a better player because I have more things to do and more ground to cover. It’s important that we can involve Alexander-Arnold further up because of the quality he has. We all know what a good passer he is. He’s one of the best in the world.”
Konate was notably linked with Real Madrid on multiple occasions in previous transfer windows and will arrive at Santiago Bernabéu to strengthen their defence, the lack of which cost them several matches. The 27-year-old has featured in 118 Premier League and 36 Champions League matches along with 30 appearances for the national team.
Nevertheless, the France footballer said recently he was saddened at not even getting the opportunity to say goodbye to Liverpool after the Reds played their  final Premier League game of the season against Brentford on May 24. Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella are also joining Real Madrid this summer, while Bernardo Silva is yet another free transfer after his exit from Manchester City. Cucurella, the Spanish defender, was signed for a sum of £52m.
