Florentino Perez is expected to announce a deal that would see Ibrahima Konate become Real Madrid’s first signing of the summer on Thursday.The agreement would see Konate, 27, join as a free agent, with his contract at Liverpool expiring at the end of June.The announcement would come three days before Madrid’s presidential elections. Perez, who called the elections himself, has served as Madrid president since 2009 in his second stint in the role and is being challenged by Enrique Riquelme, a 37-year-old renewable energy entrepreneur. The vote will take place on June 7, with around 100,000 Madrid club members eligible to vote.The Athletic reported on June 2 that the defender was being actively pursued by the La Liga club, with centre-back one of their areas being targeted for strengthening.Konate had long been in talks with Liverpool over a new deal, with discussions going back to October 2024. He told reporters in April that he was “close” to an agreement, however both sides were unable to reach it, leading to Liverpool confirming his impending departure.“I am deeply saddened that I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to all of you at the last game,” Konate said in a message to the club’s supporters. “At that moment, I didn’t know it would be my final time wearing this shirt in front of you.