Ibrahima Konate left Liverpool for Real Madrid last summer under a cloud and after a bitterly disappointing season under then-Reds manager Arne Slot at Anfield.

Konate was one of Liverpool’s worst players last season and consistently made mistakes.

The France international centre-back also decided not to sign a new contract with Liverpool and joined Real Madrid on a free transfer.

Many Liverpool fans would have thought that Konate was going to struggle at Madrid given how his final season at Liverpool panned out.

However, Konate has done well under Madrid manager Jose Mourinho and has impressed Los Blancos officials.

The 27-year-old  centre-back has made 11 appearances in LaLiga and two appearances in the Champions League for Madrid so far this season.

Madrid have won all four of their Champions League games and are level on points with leaders Barcelona in second place in LaLiga, although the Blaugrana have a game in hand.

In September, ESPN journalist Rodra said on Inaki Angulo’s YouTube channel that Real Madrid have been hugely impressed with Ibrahima Konate’s commitment off the pitch.

Rodra said: “The situation remains the same as it has been in recent years.

“There are several players on the roster, and this has been measured, who are overweight and they don’t even dare to tell each other.

“At the gym, it’s voluntary at Real Madrid.

“There’s no obligation, and only three players end up going to the gym.

“I hear a lot about Konate and Bellingham, that they take great care of themselves and are disciplined.”

Rodra, who has over 60,000 followers on X, has now reported that Madrid insiders have spoken highly of Konate.

Real Madrid impressed with Ibrahima Konate

The ESPN journalist made the revelation about the former Liverpool centre-back after he stepped in to calm the situation during the match between Valencia and Real Madrid at Estadio de Mestalla on Saturday evening.

Madrid beat Valencia 3-0 in LaLiga, with Federico Valverde, Arda Guler and Kylian Mbappe scoring for Los Blancos.

Valencia ended the game with 10 players after Jose Gaya was sent off in the 79th minute.

According to AS, at halt-time, ‘a brawl broke out in the tunnel leading to the Mestalla dressing rooms’.

The Real Madrid-leaning Spanish publication stated: ‘According to eyewitnesses, Rudiger got into a physical altercation with a member of Valencia’s private security, who was struck while trying to separate those involved in the fight.

‘The Real Madrid players involved were the German defender, Militao, and Bellingham.

‘The tension stemmed from protests by Valencia players towards the referee regarding the foul that led to Valverde’s opening goal, a foul by Maffeo on Mbappe that Valencia disputed.

‘Captains Gaya, Guido, and Pepelu, among other players, along with members of the coaching staff and sporting director Braulio Vazquez, wanted to convey their grievances to referee Hernández Maeso as he was heading to the dressing room.

‘At that moment, the Real Madrid players mentioned criticised the Valencia players’ attitude, urging them to be quiet and go to the locker room.

‘These reproaches heightened the tension.

‘Security forces had to intervene to separate them, according to the sources consulted, and it was at that moment that Rüdiger punched a security guard.’

Rodra wrote on X at 9:39am on November 8: “Of all the dressing-room drama yesterday, what caught my attention most was what I heard about Konate.

“They say that in the middle of all the tension, Konate stepped in to calm things down.

“Composed, calm, completely natural.

“I’m loving him as a centre-back, and people at Madrid speak very highly of him.

“Now people at Valencia do too.”