Liverpool are reportedly making progress on a new deal for Trent Alexander-Arnold after months of speculation about his future at the club.
Alongside Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, the right-back's current deal is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, prompting rumours that Liverpool academy graduate may look to leave Anfield.
Real Madrid have been repeatedly touted as one potential destination for Alexander-Arnold - but reports suggest that Los Blancos have not exactly lit a pyre to try and lure him to the Bernabeu.
Trent Alexander-Arnold only speaking to Liverpool so far
Football Insider write that talks are ongoing between Liverpool and Alexander-Arnold, who - as any Football Manager player will know - will be permitted to agree to a pre-contract deal with clubs overseas from January, when his contract enters its final six months.
Liverpool are said to be 'hopeful' that an agreement can be reached to tie the England international down to a long-term deal - and Alexander-Arnold's people are said to have indicated that he has not held talks with any other clubs at this point. This is a twist from reports that he has begun speaking to Real Madrid.
Of course, they would say that one way or the other, firstly because he's not technically allowed to yet, and secondly because if he does end up staying at Liverpool, it does him no good for their fans to think that he might have been looking at a move away.
Even if that's the case, though, it suggests something about their position on the whole thing as it stands that it would even be a concern: if he were definitely looking to depart, their smarter move would be to try and ramp up the speculation to secure a bigger wage.
Or it could be that they're just telling the truth, and everyone involved is just having a normal one, because not every contract negotiation has to be a complex Machiavellian scheme.
Alexander-Arnold is evidently highly-valued by new Reds boss Arne Slot, who has picked the right-back for every game of his tenure so far except for their League Cup third round win over West Ham.
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Alexander-Arnold is currently away on international duty with England, and played the full 90 minutes of Thursday evening's 2-1 defeat to Greece.
Table-topping Liverpool will resume their Premier League campaign at home to Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.
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