REAL MADRID and Barcelona are closely following Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool.
The 25-year-old Liverpool vice-captain is out of contract next year and is closely linked to the European champions.
Reports in Spain imply that either LaLiga club, the English ace, is in a position to leave following the progress of 21-year-old right-back Conor Bradley.
The Reds will offer Alexander-Arnold a new deal that would increase his salary to £180,000 per week; however, they are willing to go broke.
And rumors have circulated that he could leave to sign his England team-mate Jude Bellingham at the Bernabeu.
The two were also spotted on holiday together in Los Angeles last month, where Alexander-Arnold was noticed signing a Madrid shirt for a fan.
Anfield bosses also want to figure out what to do with Mo Salah, 32, and Virgil van Dijk, 33, who are the two Anfield players who earn more than Alexander-Arnold.
The contracts of the 3 will expire in June 2025.
Liverpool are still unlikely to take advantage of their academy graduate this summer, as he would be key for either party.
But Real and Barca, as well as other big clubs, are on the hunt for what might be imaginable over the next 12 months.
FREE FOOTBALL BETTING AND SIGN UP FOR OFFERS
His assists account and the creation of chances from right-back have led to him being asked to use himself further away despite the reluctance of former boss Jurgen Klopp in this regard.
Alexander-Arnold is arguably the game’s top passer, with the exception of Kevin De Bruyne, and has scored 15 goals for Liverpool and 58 assists, a record for Premier League defenders.
New boss Arne Slot prefers a more orthodox right-back, with Northern Ireland foreigner Bradley considered the best option.
Meanwhile, Liverpool legend Michael Owen has said Madrid may prove too impossible to resist a destination for Alexander-Arnold.
Owen told Casino Hawks: “Obviously, Real Madrid is the most productive team in Europe at the moment, it’s the biggest team in the world and they have this iconic kit and their players. . . It is the most productive level in Europe.
“I’ve been in a similar situation at this point in my career and this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
“I don’t know if it’s an opportunity or an option for Trent, but I’d have a lot to think about if they came here for him. “
Liverpool are the Premier League club that have yet to sign a player in the summer transfer window, but are expected to sign a new defensive midfielder.
Real Sociedad and Spain star Martin Zubimendi, who has a £51. 7m release clause, is the most sensible precedent for new boss Arne Slot.
By Dan King
LIVERPOOL’s new coach Arne Slot, a player smart enough to have a type of pass named after him.
But it is as a coach that the Feyenoord coach leaves his mark.
Like bald Dutchman Erik ten Hag, manager of Manchester United, Slot earned his fame by leading smaller groups before getting the chance to play in one of the big three in the Netherlands.
But the question facing Liverpool is whether Slot would be better suited to lead one of the world’s biggest clubs than Ten Hag at Old Trafford.
Slot, 45, is actually more enjoyable to watch as a player than centre-back Ten Hag.
“The Arne Slot Ball” was everything he perfected as a silky number 10: a first 180-degree rotation towards goal and a throw to the defensive line so that a winger could run too deep into the opposition half.
Click here to read all about the incoming Liverpool boss.
©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. “The Sun”, “Sun”, “Sun Online” are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. This service is provided under News Group Newspapers’ Limited’s popular terms and conditions, in accordance with our Privacy and Cookies Policy. To request information about a license to reproduce material, please visit our distribution site. Check out our online press kit. For additional inquiries, please contact us. To view all of The Sun’s content, use the sitemap. Sun’s online website is regulated through the Independent Press Standards Organization (IPSO).
Our bloodhounds check to be accurate, but we make mistakes. For more key points about our complaints policy and to register a complaint, click this link: thesun. co. uk/editorial-complaints/