Trent Alexander-Arnold has spoken out about his future at boyhood club Liverpool as speculation mounts over a potential move to Real Madrid with his deal expiring at the end of the season.
The defender has been at the Reds since 2004, breaking into the first team in 2016 and quickly becoming a fan favourite with his pinpoint crosses and dangerous set pieces.
Since then, Alexander-Arnold has won the lot, lifting the Champions League trophy in 2019 and the Premier League title a year later, as well as picking up an FA Cup and two League Cups.
He looks likely to be kissing more silverware later this season with Liverpool making a remarkable start under new boss Arne Slot, finding themselves four points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand.
But the 26-year-old could be set for a departure with contract negotiations stagnating in recent weeks and huge European sides, including Real Madrid, circling for the star.
Indeed, Alexander-Arnold has remained somewhat coy on his Anfield future, with teammate Mohamed Salah‘s situation gaining more attention, but he has now broken his silence in an interview with Sky Sports.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has spoken out about his future at boyhood club Liverpool
The defender has won the lot at the Anfield club, including the Champions League in 2019
He has also started to break into the England side after regularly being frozen out in the past
He said: ‘I have been at the club 20 years now and I have signed four or five contract extensions… and none of those have been played out in public.
‘This one won’t be either.’
It comes after pundit Rio Ferdinand suggested it would be a ‘monumental’ achievement if Liverpool manage to keep all three of their out-of-contract stars after the summer transfer window.
Captain Virgil van Dijk, along with Alexander-Arnold and Salah, is also a potential departure from Anfield next year, with just six months left on the trio’s deals before they can leave as free agents in June 2025.
Mail Sport reported on Sunday that the club have made initial contact with Salah over a new contract offer, but the Egyptian star is not thought to be close to coming to an agreement with the Reds over extending his time on Merseyside.
All three are entitled to talk to foreign clubs from January 1, with a number of European giants thought to be circling the standout performers with a view to securing their services for nothing.
‘If the club can get all three done it will be a monumental moment,’ Ferdinand said on TNT Sports. ‘(They are all) huge talents who have the service they have given is tremendous.
‘They are up there with the greats but I can’t see them getting all three done. I think Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah will stay, (but) this is an opportunity for someone like Trent, to go to Real Madrid.
Mohamed Salah has been in exceptional form of late and his contract is also up in the summer
Virgil van Dijk, meanwhile, will be free to talk to other clubs from January as his deal nears end
Arne Slot has led his side to 19 wins, two draws and just one loss in his first 22 games in charge
‘A club like that, they don’t come around often and the way it is coming around, he will never have an easier opportunity than now, so he will find it hard (to stay).’
Steve McManaman – who made the switch from Anfield to the Bernabeu himself in 1999 – suggested that Liverpool focus on their captain and top scorer rather than Alexander-Arnold.
‘Now it is the spine which is Van Dijk and Mo,’ the co-pundit added. ‘It is going to be impossible to replace all three, but it’s important to nail down Mo and Virgil.
‘Trent, it is down to him. With Mo and Virgil, they are at an age they still want to play high class and probably have fewer options. I think it will be easier.’
Last week, Alexander-Arnold revealed Slot’s impact in the dressing room since his summer arrival, as well as his ‘mind-blowing’ tactical approach.
‘The style with which he coaches, and the style with which we play and the identity we have as a team is something that is there to see,’ the England international told TNT Sports.
‘We’re all enjoying it, he’s getting the best out of players, that’s all you want as a player. We’re all willing to learn to improve.
‘That’s what you want, he’s someone who will coach that into us. Like you’ve seen, the lads have bought into it from day one. That’s what you need as a new manager, when you’ve got willing lads to learn and receive feedback, then you’re halfway there.’
Slot has introduced a more tactical style to pressing, compared to Klopp’s relentless physical approach, which Alexander-Arnold has adopted seamlessly.
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti could be managing Alexander-Arnold next season
Rio Ferdinand and Steve McManaman discussed Liverpool’s potential departures this week
The 26-year-old marvelled at the new manager’s meticulous methods, explaining that, through repetition, he has already impressed his footballing philosophy on the squad.
‘The tactics are mind-blowing as well. If I’m honest, I don’t think anyone would have said we’d be as good as we are,’ he continued.
‘Looking back to the first few days of meeting him, it’s not that much of a surprise to me now – because of how in-depth and in detail he is.
‘And the level of detail he goes into, it really doesn’t surprise me that we look so good as a team, because he’s drilled that into us.’
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