While Trent Alexander-Arnold is a firm fan favourite at Anfield, there remain ongoing rumours that the England international could be heading to Real Madrid. The Spanish team have made no effort to hide the fact that they are interested in Alexander-Arnold, and with the defender’s Liverpool contract set to run out in 2025, there remain big question marks about his future.
While even the most ambitious of new betting sites featured at resources like Jaxon would usually baulk at giving odds for someone like Alexander-Arnold to leave Anfield, it looks like this could be an actuality.
Big shake up at the Bernabeu
It looks to be a major summer refresh over at the Santiago Bernabeu as Real Madrid are preparing to make a big money move for Kylian Mbappe. But it’s not just the Paris Saint Germain forward who will be shaking things up, as the team are looking to appoint a successor for their star defender, Dani Carvajal.
The Spanish ace is now 32 years old, and with a contract expiring in 2025, it’s clear that Real Madrid will be looking for a replacement. The fact that Alexander-Arnold will be a free agent at that time lends further weight to the argument.
The Spanish team have engineered numerous free agent deals in the past couple of years with the likes of Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba both coming to the Bernabeu after their contracts had expired. Such good business dealing will be essential if Real Madrid want to stay above water following the huge fee to be paid for Mbappe.
Further bolstering the argument is the fact that Alexander-Arnold is known to be close friends with Jude Bellingham who has made a hugely successful start at Real Madrid. All of which means that Alexander-Arnold’s potential exit might not be as strange as it initially seems.
Would Liverpool be willing to let Alexander-Arnold go?
With just 12 months left on his Liverpool contract, there has been an alarming silence about any renewal attempt to keep Alexander-Arnold at Anfield. Much of this is probably due to the huge amount of rebuilding that is taking place following the announcement that Jurgen Klopp would be leaving at the end of the season.
The incoming sporting director, Richard Hughes, has a task in rebuilding a side that will have been hugely disappointed to fade away in their hunt for the Premier League title. Alexander-Arnold has once again struggled with injuries this campaign, and while he has shown sparks of his natural talent, there remain questions about how he would adapt in the post-Klopp era.
Much of this will come down to what the relationship will be between the 25-year old and the incoming Liverpool manager – most likely, Arne Slot. This means that Slot will have to figure out the best place to play Alexander-Arnold which is something that even the best managers in the game have struggled with.
While Alexander-Arnold has an outrageous passing ability and takes exceptional free kicks, his defensive limitations are all too well-known. This means that the incoming boss could opt to switch the England international to a more central position – something that Klopp already experimented with in recent months.
The good news is that Slot is reportedly, ‘licking his lips’ at the prospect ofworking with Alexander-Arnold, and the rumours are that the 25-year old could be a key central technician in the side. However, it remains to be seen whether the defender will be happy to continue at Anfield, given the lure of a fresh challenge playing at Real Madrid and entering the next chapter of his career.
