Liverpool have been told that they have ‘no chance’ of keeping Trent Alexander-Arnold, as Real Madrid step up their pursuit of the England international.
Alexander-Arnold, 26, has entered the final year of his contract at Anfield and will be allowed to talk to foreign clubs once the January transfer window opens. Should the Liverpool ace, who started in Wednesday’s narrow 1-0 win away to RB Leipzig, decide to leave his boyhood club on a free, Madrid are the firm favourites to snap him up.
The reigning kings of Europe and Spain are said to have placed Alexander-Arnold at the top of their four-man shortlist for a new right-back. Reports have intensified since the long-serving Dani Carvajal suffered a serious knee injury earlier this month, ruling him out until October 2025.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot insists that Alexander-Arnold hasn’t been distracted by the noise around him, offering hope that the 26-year-old will sign a new deal. But Sky Sports pundit Tim Sherwood reckons that a decision has already been made, suggesting that Anfield chiefs should focus on negotiating with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, who are both also out of contract.
Asked whether Liverpool’s strong start under Slot could help convince the trio to stay, ex-Tottenham and Aston Villa manager Sherwood told Sky Sports: “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.
“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.”
Whether Sherwood is right remains to be seen but Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has already warned Alexander-Arnold that supporters would take a dim view of him swapping Merseyside for Madrid. “You’ve got three players – Van Dijk, Salah, and Trent – but when you’re a local player at Liverpool, leaving the club is not just a decision; it’s complicated,” Carragher declared on the Stick to Football podcast.
“If van Dijk or Salah left on a free transfer, Liverpool fans would likely wish them well and appreciate their contributions. But with Trent, it would be different. The reaction would be much more intense.”
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