Liverpool has signed Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk up to new contracts ahead of the summer. But there is still no news yet on what Trent Alexander-Arnold will be doing.
The Liverpool number 66 has opted not to say anything about his future all season, preferring to remain silent on the matter. Real Madrid is very keen to snap him up, and the expectation is that he will head to Spain.
But while Liverpool will not be in a position to earn a transfer fee for its vice-captain because of his contract running down, the Reds could potentially bring in some money for him. That is because Real Madrid wants to bring forward the move.
This summer, Real Madrid will take part in the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup. The Spanish giant will compete for the trophy having won the Champions League last season and would like Alexander-Arnold to be involved.
However, Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool contract expires at the end of June. If he doesn’t move to Madrid until then, though, it will be too late, as the summer tournament is earlier in the calendar year.
(Image: Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
According to the Spanish outlet AS, Liverpool will consider releasing Alexander-Arnold early under two conditions. The player must submit the request himself, and he must forgo his June salary.
The report also suggests that Real Madrid would need to pay some form of compensation, though that figure is expected to be fairly low. It is suggested that the total cost of the deal for the La Liga club would be up to $2.3 million (£1.7 million).
Arne Slot was asked about Alexander-Arnold’s contract situation yesterday during his press conference. But there wasn’t much of an update from the Liverpool boss.
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“If there is any news, I wouldn’t say you are the first to know, but as long as there is no news from us, this is not the place to talk about his situation,” he said. With only four games remaining this season, the outcome will soon have to become clear.
Liverpool.com says: Losing Alexander-Arnold would be a major blow for Slot. The player is a unique talent and replacing him would be impossible.
Conor Bradley is a very good player but there is a question mark over his fitness and availability. And Liverpool would have to add another defender as cover to replace Alexander-Arnold’s body in the squad.
If Alexander-Arnold is going, though, there is no real reason to stop him playing in the Club World Cup. From Liverpool’s perspective, it wouldn’t make much difference.
