Liverpool to prioritise contract talks with Trent Alexander Arnold this year amid Real Madrid swoop

Liverpool are set to prioritize contract negotiations with Trent Alexander-Arnold before the year’s end, as interest from Real Madrid continues to grow.

According to Pete O’Rourke on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, while Madrid’s interest in the right-back is not yet advanced, he remains a significant target in their plans to build a new “Galacticos” squad. With just one year left on his current deal, the European champions are closely monitoring Alexander-Arnold’s situation, should no new agreement be reached.

New Liverpool boss Arne Slot is reportedly “desperate” to retain Alexander-Arnold and plans to sit down with the player to discuss his long-term future at the club. Given his integral role in the team and his status as a homegrown talent, ensuring his continued presence at Anfield is a top priority for the club.

Alexander-Arnold, a product of the Liverpool academy, joined the club at the tender age of six in 2004 and made his senior debut at 18. Since then, he has made 310 appearances for Liverpool, winning a Premier League title, a Champions League trophy, an FA Cup, two EFL Cups, and the Club World Cup. Last season, despite an injury that sidelined him between January and April, he made 37 appearances, scoring three goals and providing nine assists.

However, it is not all doom and gloom as Alexander-Arnold is currently not in a rush to leave Liverpool. He has been earmarked as a potential future club captain, especially with uncertainties surrounding Virgil van Dijk’s future. However, it is acknowledged that the situation could change quickly, and securing his long-term commitment is crucial for Liverpool.

Real Madrid’s interest in Alexander-Arnold is unsurprising, especially given the defender’s close relationship with England teammate Jude Bellingham, who recently joined the Spanish giants. Madrid is keen on making the 25-year-old their latest superstar addition, following the high-profile signings of Kylian Mbappe this summer.

The current situation with Alexander-Arnold bears similarities to when Steve McManaman left Liverpool for Real Madrid in 1999. Both players were pivotal for Liverpool, homegrown talents who had become fan favourites. Hopefully, that’s where the similarities end.

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While Trent has nothing more to win at Liverpool, he is a local lad who knows what it means to wear the famous red jersey. The pride of donning the armband and leading his home team out should be a major point in negotiations while also continuing to build a winning squad around the 25-year-old. Both Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard were local lads who made very different decisions. It is fair to say that Trent will be aware of how both of those players’ legacies stand today amongst the Reds faithful.

We find it difficult to believe that Liverpool will hold off until the end of the year to sign Trent to a new deal. As things stand, the report can be taken with a pinch of salt. The 25-year-old’s extension should be the priority right now and it will come as a surprise if the club aren’t already deploying all hands on board.