Liverpool superstar Trent Alexander-Arnold has agreed a move to Real Madrid this summer, according to a report from Spain.
The England international, ranked at no.11 in FourFourTwo's list of the best players in the world right now, has been embroiled in a long-running saga over his future for some months, as he approaches the end of his current Reds deal.
Alexander-Arnold, along with team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, are free as of January to negotiate deals with overseas clubs. FourFourTwo understands that all three have recently had talks with Liverpool to remain at Anfield.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has agreed contract with Real Madrid, with Liverpool holding on for him to remain on Merseyside until the summer at least
With Alexander-Arnold approaching his final months in a Liverpool shirt, there has been strong hope from Real Madrid that they could bring the 26-year-old to the Bernabeu this month, as opposed to waiting over the summer.
After losing stalwart right-back Dani Carvajal to an anterior cruciate ligament injury earlier this season, Catalan paper Sport reported that the European champions were considering accelerating plans to bring Alexander-Arnold to the club midseason. Now, a new report from El Chiringuito journalist Josep Pedrerol claims that such a deal won't go ahead this month unless the two clubs can meet on a price south of 35 million.
Crucially, however, Pedrerol states that a move is agreed for the summer. Given how close he is with Real Madrid, this is a potential bombshell in the saga.
Alexander-Arnold has already closed a deal with Real Madrid to join in the month of June. There are still small nuances, but Arnold, if nothing happens, will play in Real Madrid next season, he said.
But he could arrive this month whenever Liverpool lowers their pretensions, [for no] less than 35m, maximum perhaps 40m. So, Alexander-Arnold, done for June, possibility for January.
Liverpool have reportedly begun talks on a move for Joshua Kimmich, as a potential A-list replacement for Alexander-Arnold, who is ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the best right-backs in the world right now.
In FourFourTwo's view, however, this update doesn't mean it's game over for the Merseysiders. They may yet have one more offer up their sleeves to try and tempt the academy graduate to stay at the club, before the season ends.
Alexander-Arnold is worth 75m, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool travel to Brentford this weekend when Premier League action returns.
Trent Alexander-Arnold can't keep quiet about his future any longer, says Liverpool expert, Matt Ladson of This Is Anfield
The feeling among Liverpool supporters has been, for some time, that Alexander-Arnold is the least likely of the three out-of-contract players to sign a new deal, and he has also been the one who has least-committed publicly.
While wed all prefer such negotiations and decisions to be private, it has got to the stage now where what needs to be made public is a decision, one way or another. Quite simply, Alexander-Arnold needs to state whether he wants to stay or not. He needs to own the decision if he has decided to leave for Madrid. The club and the supporters need transparency and clarity, so too, perhaps, does the player's own PR.
The most important thing is trophies if I'm honest, he claimed back in September. Four months later Liverpool look very well placed to win trophies this season but the big fear is that these distractions impact those trophy ambitions.
The questions are large, the answers are complex and unknown; has Alexander-Arnold already decided he wants to leave for Madrid? Have Liverpool failed to make an offer he deems acceptable? If not, why not? And if an offer has been made, is it truly about winning trophies as he claims?
TOPICS
