Arne Slot has been warned that he will have to say farewell to Trent Alexander-Arnold next year with Liverpool having ‘no chance’ of preventing him from joining Real Madrid on a free transfer amid a big reveal on the astronomical wages the Spanish giants are ready to offer him.
The right-back is in the final year of his contract at Liverpool and is eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement overseas from January 1 – just 69 days from now. As a result, there is more than an element of concern that the Reds could lose their vice-captain to a free transfer at the end of the current campaign.
The 26-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, whose interest in signing the assist machine is well-documented, as they look to strengthen their defence in 2025.
While there have been plenty of claims and counter-claims over whether Alexander-Arnold will accept the move or not, Sky Sports pundit Tim Sherwood feels the player is already ‘gone’ – though he has painted a different picture over both Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, who also fall out of contract next year.
Speaking on Sky Sports Soccer Special, Sherwood was asked if Liverpool’s superb start to the season – that has seen them claim 11 wins in 12 games so far – could help sway their decision, the former Tottenham boss replied: “That helps! ‘We’re talking about three top-drawer players there who want to win trophies. They don’t want to sit there just to challenge for Champions League positions. They all want to win stuff so this start helps, it can only help.”
In a bleak warning on Alexander-Arnold, though, he continued: “I think with Trent, I think he’s gone. Once Real Madrid come knocking for you… he’s won everything at the football club and been a magnificent servant but there’s no chance they’re keeping him now I wouldn’t have thought.
“With Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, I think it’s completely different because I’m not sure where they are going to go which is better than Liverpool.”
How much are Real Madrid prepared to pay Alexander-Arnold?
Alexander-Arnold has served Liverpool superbly since making his first-team debut in October 2016, going on to make 321 appearances and playing his part in an astonishing 102 goals in that time (19 goals and 83 assists).
Having joined the club at the age of six, he has risen to the ranks of vice-captain and has recently outlined his aims to lift trophies as captain one day.
TEAMtalk sources have also revealed there is ‘calmness and confidence’ within Anfield that Alexander-Arnold will sign on the dotted line to a new deal on Merseyside, with the player’s priority firmly on signing a new deal with Liverpool first.
That is a sentiment recently backed up by Fabrizio Romano, who, like ourselves, continues to insist that Alexander-Arnold’s first priority is Liverpool.
However, the interest from Real Madrid cannot be ignored either.
Strong reports on Wednesday claimed the LaLiga giants had already been in contact with the player’s entourage to make clear they are willing to offer him a deal worth £15m per year over a five-year contract. Worth approximately £288,000 a week, which would represent a £100k a week salary increase on his existing Reds deal.
We understand though that there is an acceptance any new deal at Anfield is also likely to be worth that and that keeping Alexander-Arnold at Anfield will see them paying out the second-highest deal in the club’s history behind the £350k a week currently being enjoyed by Salah.
Latest Liverpool transfer news – Gerrard’s Salah plea / two wingers linked
Meanwhile, Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard is doing his bit to try and persuade Salah to hang around on Merseyside and commit to a new deal at Anfield himself.
Salah has been strongly linked with Al-Ittihad, rivals to the Al-Ettifaq side that Gerrard manages in Saudi Arabia. However, the 44-year-old has made it clear why he wants the 32-year-old Egyptian to stay put on Merseyside after offering the star some sage advice.
One man who could potentially be seen as a replacement for Salah is Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. The former Manchester City academy winger has really hit the straps for BVB this season, scoring five times and adding three assists from 11 appearances so far.
Now former Reds star Emile Heskey has explained why the ‘lightning quick’ 20-year-old is ideally suited to move to Anfield despite reports of the huge price tag on his head.
Another man touted as a replacement is Napoli superstar winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. And reporter Rudy Galetti has provided an update on reports the Reds want to bring the Georgian to Merseyside in a blockbuster summer deal and unite him with his international teammate Giorgi Mamardashvili.
How Alexander-Arnold’s wages have risen at Liverpool over the years
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