Liverpool should “rinse” Real Madrid if the Spanish team is keen on signing Trent Alexander-Arnold sooner rather than later.
That’s the view of former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan, following reports that Madrid is eager to secure the services of the right-back ahead of schedule.
Alexander-Arnold has made headlines this week by announcing he won’t be renewing his contract with Liverpool, thus ending a 20-year spell at the club when his current deal expires on June 30. The England international, who has been with the Reds since the tender age of six, is tipped to join Madrid on a free transfer.
However, it has now come to light that the reigning Champions League champion wants to snap up Alexander-Arnold straight after the season concludes to have him ready for the Club World Cup this summer. This would mean Liverpool agreeing to an early termination of the 26-year-old’s contract in return for a nominal fee.
But considering the hefty prize money – nearly £100 million ($132 million) – on offer for the Club World Cup victors, Jordan believes the Anfield hierarchy should drive a hard bargain with their Madrid counterparts.
During his talkSPORT appearance, he questioned: “Do Liverpool want to be a contributing factor to Real Madrid being crowned inaugural Club World Cup champions?
(Image: talkSPORT)
“He’d keep you to the contract if there wasn’t an alternative. He wouldn’t be saying, ‘I’ve finished my last game so I don’t need to be paid up to June 30.’ Because the circumstances have changed and he’s already got himself an outcome and Madrid want this outcome.
“If you go to this tournament, what do you get if you win it? £100M. And if Liverpool give them a player to help them with that, they’ve just given Madrid £100M to make sure Madrid can maintain their dominance in European football, so why? They’re not a charity.
“Of course, they are (a direct rival). Who are going to be playing in the Champions League next year? It would be commercial sense. Trent Alexander-Arnold has achieved what he wanted to achieve and you can believe the benefits of Trent Alexander going on a free have landed where… in his pay packet.
“Real Madrid do not have the right to have him until June 30 – that’s the contractual position. We’re very what contracts should mean when it comes to the other side of the argument.
“Liverpool have had to abide by nature the way football is constructed, the Bosman rule has changed the structure of it all. If you want this player to play in a tournament Liverpool aren’t in, it’s not Liverpool’s job to enhance Madrid’s opportunity.
“I would bend them over and make them tie my shoelaces as well as give me an extraordinary amount of money – as much as I could rinse out of them.
“What’s £500,000 ($662K)? That’s his wages. You want something I have got, what do I get in return? Some promise you might do something for me in the future? No, what I want is £5M ($6.6M) and see how much you’ll play towards that.”
The Reds clinched the Premier League title last month. They have three matches left to play – kicking off at home against their closest competitors, Arsenal, on Sunday.
