To borrow the words of Jude Bellingham from last month: 'When Real Madrid comes knocking, the whole house shakes.'
On Tuesday, Real Madrid and their president Florentino Perez wanted to knock on Liverpool's door, but were chased through the street before they had set foot in the driveway.
An inquiry from the Spanish champions to the Premier League leaders about signing Trent Alexander-Arnold this month was quickly dismissed and as far as Liverpool is concerned, so is it.
Discussions never got as far as 'here's our offer' as Real were rejected before money could even be discussed.
But fear not: the games have begun.
In reality, they were already well on their way, and were stepped up even further over the weekend when Marca, the newspaper most closely associated with Los Blancos, ran a front-page headline suggesting that Alexander-Arnold had decided to move to Madrid .
That was confirmed on Saturday when multiple sources in Spain told Mail Sport of the 15-time European champion's confidence that they would entice him to join them. All the noise from the Spanish capital was positive that Alexander-Arnold would soon be their man.
Liverpool have taken a calmer approach. It is understood the dialogue between the club and Alexander-Arnold's camp has been going on for months and the Reds have never received any indication that he wants to leave.
There are multiple sides to this story and it's worth saying that no decision has been made yet. This is Alexander-Arnold's life's calling and there are significant pros and cons to both options.
Real's appeal is clear: Alexander-Arnold has won everything he can in England, can claim more silverware in Spain and perhaps be put on a better footing to win individual gongs such as the Ballon d'Or.
He would play with his good friend Bellingham and experience a new way of life in a new country.
On the other hand, he could establish himself as a true Liverpool legend if he were to stay. He is the heir apparent to the captaincy of his boyhood club and as a local boy there are few honors greater than captaining this team. And maybe Liverpool are a better team than Real at the moment.
Michael Owen discussed the pros and cons on this platform on Christmas Eve – which, given the rapid development of this saga, feels like it was six months ago – but the difference here is that, unlike Owen and Steve McManaman, Alexander-Arnold no need to leave to win the big trophies.
All the talk in Spain this weekend, and indeed all season, suggested a January move was not on the cards. That remains the case and Liverpool's rebuttal all but shuts the door.
But the fact that Real even tried is telling and part of their mind-games strategy.
Given all the talk, you couldn't blame Alexander-Arnold if his head was turned over the next few days and distraction hit him.
That hasn't been the case so far – just look at his celebration at West Ham last Sunday – and it's unlikely to change. He is committed to Liverpool's goals.
In October, Reds boss Arne Slot was asked whether Real's courting of Alexander-Arnold would distract the player and said: 'You underestimate our players. They are used to being connected to all the top clubs on a daily basis, whether they have a contract or not.
'If you think that they are disturbed by these interests, then I don't think you are doing justice to how strong they are mentally and what they are used to.
'This is part of our job. This is part of the world we live in. Just concentrate on what you have to do. If you're 17 or 18 years old, that might be difficult for you.
'But Trent has won the Premier League, he has won the Champions League, Virgil (van Dijk) and Mo (Salah) the same. I don't think it's a problem for them to perform.'
This descends into a phoney war, where words are exchanged with little action to back them up. Real use their media mouthpieces, Liverpool sit calmly and patiently and insist there is nothing to worry about.
Slot is often the man who has to find new ways to answer difficult questions. They come almost every day. “Any updates on contracts?” – and the answer is always the same. To his credit, he laughs and jokes about it, but he must be tired of having to face it and give straight answers.
Which brings us to the point that there is only one man who can stop all the noise, the questions, the debate and the soap opera: Alexander-Arnold himself. Instead of the cryptic celebration pointing to his ear, communicating his decision would silence everything.
There is a school of thought in some quarters of the Liverpool fanbase that this is the kind of saga that could derail their title bid. Given Slot's tendency to ignore every perceived bump in the road, that's unlikely – but it's certainly something to think about.
The saga doesn't help anyone at Liverpool. Not Lock. Not the locker room, which is now awash with uncertainty. And not Alexander-Arnold himself, who is receiving strong criticism from some supporters for not entrusting his future to his boyhood team.
Many have wondered whether Real would even try their luck by signing him in January if they had not received the encouragement that he wanted to join them.
That's a fair point, but as one source put it: 'This is Madrid throwing a grenade in and seeing what happens.'
However, Liverpool does not know soft hands. With experienced heads running the club, they would never back down at the first sight of danger and let Alexander-Arnold walk away without fighting to keep him.
The same was true for Philippe Coutinho seven years ago, when they dug in their heels and secured a £146 million transfer fee from Barcelona. Liverpool laughed all the way to the bank and reinvested that money in Van Dijk (£75m) and Alisson (£64.6m). Although the balance sheets won't prove it, it isn't worth it for Liverpool to cash in on Alexander-Arnold now – for fear of losing him for free in the summer – unless Real's offer is astronomical.
If the 26-year-old can help the Reds win the Premier League or Champions League, he is worth keeping.
Predicting Alexander-Arnold's future is complex. All the noise in Spain suggests he is already their man, while those on Merseyside are relaxed and insist they have had no indication he wants to jump ship.
But there's one safe bet: this saga is still in its infancy, and more real mind games are coming soon. Happy new year.
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