Trent Alexander-Arnold ’s move to Real Madrid has reportedly taken a step closer with the Liverpool right-back agreeing personal terms with the European champions.
Alexander-Arnold’s contract expires at the end of the season and, despite months of negotiations, there has been no breakthrough in those talks. Speculation has been rife that the 26-year-old will join Real and depart his boyhood club, particularly with Alexander-Arnold admitting in the past that his ultimate aim is to win the Ballon d’Or.
There have been fresh reports that Liverpool’s no.66 will join Los Blancos before the 2025/26 campaign with Sky Sports France stating the move is now ‘settled’. The outlet claims Alexander-Arnold and his agency ‘have finally reached an agreement’ on a five-year deal.
According to Sky, the defender will earn around €15m ($16.1m/£12.5m) per annum in the Spanish capital, around €4m ($4.3m/£3.3m) more than his current salary, while there are ‘attractive performance bonuses as well as a signing bonus’ incorporated in the deal.
“An agreement in principle was reached in recent weeks and, despite Liverpool’s repeated attempts to reopen negotiations, the hope of extending his contract on the banks of the Mersey has faded. Now, nothing will be able to change the Englishman’s mind,” the report states.
Should Alexander-Arnold move on in the summer, it would leave Arne Slot with a major headache to solve and, invariably, lead to the Reds buying reinforcements at right-back in the summer. Jeremie Frimpong is among the club’s transfer targets if Alexander-Arnold leaves, while many feel the club already has a ready-made replacement in Conor Bradley.
While losing Alexander-Arnold would undoubtedly be a blow, ex-full-back Stephen Warnock told Liverpool.com recently that the club will adapt without one of its star players. “Liverpool played against Real Madrid this season without Trent and beat them, so it shows they can cope without him. They coped with losing players like Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard, they can cope without Trent. It’s about making sure you replace these players with quality.
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“I think Trent will go,” he added. “You can’t blame him, he’s won everything there is to win at the club. He’s done great. People say he’s not great defensively but he gives us so much going forward. He’s such a good player as well.”
Alexander-Arnold won’t be involved when Liverpool returns to Premier League action next week with the Merseyside derby on 2 April, due to the ankle injury he suffered in the defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
