Trent Alexander-Arnold will almost certainly be a Real Madrid player next season, with negotiations over a move to the Bernabeu apparently 99 percent done.
Alexander-Arnold has been linked with a free transfer to the Spanish capital for some time, and has not spoken publicly on his contract situation for six months. The right-back’s Liverpool contract will expire at the end of June, at which point he will be allowed to leave the club for nothing.
It is reported by Caught Offside that the Reds have given up hope of keeping Alexander-Arnold, who apparently has his heart set on a move to Spain.
Arne Slot is said to have tried to tempt Alexander-Arnold to remain at the club by talking up the prospect of him becoming an even bigger legend at Liverpool and potentially captaining the club in the future, but he has been unable to convince the 26-year-old to stay.
Alexander-Arnold has not directly addressed his future in public since he said last 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.”
Meanwhile, Diogo Jota has been linked with a return to Wolves amid suggestions Liverpool could offload the Portuguese forward this summer, but it is reported that such a move unlikely. Jota is into his fifth season at Liverpool but injuries have plagued him in recent times, and he has only scored twice in his last 14 appearances for the Reds.
It doesn’t sound as though Jota will be returning to Molineux, with TBR Football‘s Graeme Bailey revealing that Wolves has not discussed the player’s possible return internally. The West Midlands club is also unlikely to pay a hefty transfer fee for Jota.
Regardless of whether Jota stays, ex-striker Michael Owen believes Liverpool may need to freshen up its attacking department this summer. Mohamed Salah’s contract is up in June and it’s unclear whether he’ll sign a new deal.
“I think if he (Salah) was to go, Liverpool would look to replace him or find another attacking player, because I think Darwin Nunez will probably go as well,” Owen recently said, per the Liverpool Echo. “There’s lots of alternatives out there but no one can replace Mo Salah. There’s no one out there that is going to get his numbers.”
