Real Madrid are reportedly prepared to pay a fee of ‘more than £20million’ to secure Trent Alexander-Arnold’s signature before he becomes a free agent.
But Liverpool have made it clear they have no interest in such rhetoric as they pursue domestic and European glory.
It’s not all doom and gloom from the Reds’ perspective, with Melissa Reddy stressing that the Merseysiders will now have a clearer understanding of how to position themselves in contract negotiations.
However, it cannot be ignored that Madrid were likely testing the waters with encouragement from the player’s entourage.
“For Real Madrid, this clearly tells us that Trent Alexander-Arnold is their top full-back target and there are no other alternatives they are really considering.” A Sky Sports reporter said:
“They are willing to pay more than £20m to get a deal done before he becomes a free agent. So they’re making it very clear that he’s their guy, they’re willing to pay him, they’re willing to complete the deal ahead of schedule, and they want to move forward now.
“I have to say that Real would not have approached Liverpool if they had not received encouragement from the player’s side. What I want to emphasize at this point is that this in no way means that Trent intends to leave Liverpool in January or that he wants to leave Liverpool in January.
“We have to remember that he is in contract negotiations. So it would be in his interest for Real Madrid to reach out so Liverpool know their intentions and can make him an offer worth considering.
“I think he’s actually in an incredibly strong position in these negotiations.”
Michael Owen will no doubt feel vindicated in reaching a similar conclusion, hinting at the possibility of ‘secret talks’ on Tuesday on X (formerly Twitter).
Liverpool still believe they can keep Trent Alexander-Arnold.
A move to the Spanish capital is certainly not guaranteed at this point.
That said, we should not underestimate the challenge of persuading Alexander-Arnold to stay put, given Madrid’s advantage in offering a financially lucrative package for our 26-year-old full-back.
“Liverpool would never support his departure this month. That was absolutely not possible. They were very clear to Real considering their league and Champions League ambitions.
“They also haven’t given up hope of keeping Trent and signing him a new contract.
“I don’t think they’ll give up hope until he comes out and says, ‘I want to go to Madrid.’ Why should we do that? And so far, no such word has been said.”
Can Liverpool satisfy both Trent and Mo Salah?
Beyond Trent’s personal ambitions, money is likely to play a significant role in proceedings, which will cause sporting director Richard Hughes considerable difficulties.
Can Liverpool keep both players financially happy without compromising a sustainable wage structure?
So far, Mo Salah has stood out as an exception to the rule of awarding astonishing salaries to the Premier League’s most notable players.
It’s hard to imagine our recruiting team approving a contract that would see Trent Alexander-Arnold (as exceptional as he is) get similar numbers.
Will that give Real Madrid an advantage? maybe.
Only time will tell.
