Konate's situation has already drawn interest from Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and PSG.
Foot Mercato reported that the Jeddah club have positioned themselves as a serious option for the 27-year-old, who has informed his Liverpool teammates that his decision to leave is final and held his first discussions with France's coaching staff at Clairefontaine ahead of the World Cup.
The appeal for Konate is not automatic, however. Al-Ittihad finished fifth in the Saudi Pro League this season — well short of expectations — and are facing a summer of significant internal upheaval. Head coach Sérgio Conceição is expected to leave, while sporting director Ramón Planes is also departing and a successor must be appointed to define the club's recruitment strategy.
In this context, presenting Konate with a coherent sporting project is more difficult than it would be under stable conditions.
The club nonetheless view Konate as a profile that could anchor their defensive rebuild and are monitoring the situation. Their financial capacity to match or exceed European salary offers remains a factor in their favour.
Konate joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in May 2021 for £36 million and is leaving with a Premier League title, two Carabao Cups and an FA Cup from 183 appearances. He will join France's squad this week ahead of the World Cup in North America.
Real Madrid remain the frontrunner in European terms, having tracked Konate since earlier in the season and viewing him as a cost-effective solution to their defensive rebuild.