Liverpool is facing up to the prospect of losing Trent Alexander-Arnold for nothing this summer – although there may still be a chance that the Reds don’t come away completely empty-handed.
Alexander-Arnold looks to finally be on the verge of a move to Real Madrid following months of speculation. Tuesday saw reports come to a head with suggestions that terms may have already been agreed, and that the Spanish giant is looking to finalize a deal.
There is no confirmation from either Liverpool or Real at this point, although an exit from Anfield is now looking inevitable for Alexander-Arnold. Reds fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah don’t follow him out the door.
All three players are of course set to become free agents in the summer as their contracts expire. As such, they have been able to negotiate pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs since January ahead of potential moves abroad.
The prospect of losing a player as influential as Alexander-Arnold would come as a big blow to Liverpool, particularly ahead of a big summer in which Arne Slot needs to upgrade in a number of areas of his squad. There is still a chance though that the Reds may receive some sort of fee.
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According to the Daily Mail, Real is exploring the possibility of bringing forward Alexander-Arnold’s transfer so that he can play in June’s revamped Club World Cup. The current European champions are due to play alongside the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea in the new-look competition, which gets underway just three weeks after the end of the regular season.
Los Blancos’ first game is against Al Hilal on June 18 in Miami, although Alexander-Arnold’s contract at Anfield doesn’t expire until June 30, meaning Real would have to pay in order to get him out of his contract early.
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There is a small window from June 1-10 for clubs to make additions to their squads or extend the deals of any of their current players. According to the report, Real is “extremely keen” to have Alexander-Arnold playing in the tournament.
That would require Liverpool to agree to release the 26-year-old from his contract early, but the Reds would still be able to demand a small compensation from their Spanish counterparts in the form of a transfer fee. Real and its president Florentino Perez are said to be “counting on” Alexander-Arnold taking some part in the Club World Cup, although they will also need approval from La Liga.
Real did make an attempt to sign Alexander-Arnold early before the January transfer window, having submitted a $26 million bid on New Year’s Eve which was immediately knocked back by Liverpool. The right-back though now looks as though he will be heading into his final few games for the club as the Reds continue their Premier League title charge next week against Everton.
