Liverpool had a tough week in what’s shaping up to be an otherwise stellar season.
The Reds bowed out of the Champions League after falling to Paris Saint-Germain and subsequently suffered defeat to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final. However, this double setback is likely to be a fleeting memory.
The Merseyside giants are primed for a resurgence when they host local rivals Everton next Wednesday (April 2), boasting a substantial lead at the Premier League summit. Perched 12 points ahead of second-place Arsenal, Liverpool calculates that just 16 points from their remaining nine fixtures will secure the title’s return to Anfield for a record 20th time.
With five of those matches on home turf, fans are bracing themselves for imminent celebrations. Yet, the future remains uncertain for three key players who have driven Liverpool to the cusp of glory – top scorer Mohamed Salah, skipper Virgil van Dijk, and deputy leader Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Each player’s contract expires on June 30 and without new deals, they could exit Anfield freely. Van Dijk and Salah have publicly expressed a desire to stay with Liverpool, while Alexander-Arnold has kept a more restrained profile amid intense speculation linking him with Real Madrid, having stated back in September: “I want to be a Liverpool player this season (as a minimum) is what I will say.
“I have been at the club (for) 20 years now. I have signed four or five contract extensions and none of those have been played out in public, and this one won’t be either.”
On New Year’s Eve, Madrid reached out to Liverpool’s management about potentially signing Alexander-Arnold when the winter transfer window opened. However, their inquiry was quickly turned down. Despite this, Liverpool anticipated that the current European champions would take the chance to talk to the England international, which they have been allowed to do since January 1.
(Image: 2025 CameraSport)
Following recent reports in Spain claiming that a deal to bring Alexander-Arnold to Madrid is ’99 percent done’, former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has made an even bolder statement. During an appearance on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the ex-Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper, now a pundit, stated: “The information I have is: Trent Alexander-Arnold is going to Madrid.
“I spent time in Madrid when we covered the Real Madrid v Man City game, and speaking to sources, they’re convinced Trent signed a pre-contract in January. It hasn’t been made public knowledge yet, but the word in Madrid is they are 100 percent sure that he has signed a deal.”
Alexander-Arnold was absent from the Carabao Cup final loss to Newcastle due to an injury sustained in Liverpool’s Champions League second-leg defeat to PSG. Although the injury is not as severe as initially thought, the 26 year old is expected to be out of action for several weeks, but should return by the end of next month.
