TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD is set for a £100million payday if he joins Real Madrid.
The European champions were willing to pay £20 million to sign the 26-year-old Liverpool right-back in the current transfer window.
But Real's decision to make their interests official is seen as a strategic move to eventually free him in the summer.
And Alexander-Arnold is set to receive a staggering sum of money when he puts pen to paper for Real.
Real are willing to give the England right-back a big increase on his £180,000-a-week Anfield wage.
But the real money spinner is the application fee.
When Kylian Mbappe moved to Real from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, he agreed to a golden hello of £128m, payable over his five-year contract.
That was on top of annual wages of £12.8 million – which amounts to almost £250,000 a week.
Although Alexander-Arnold will not be able to match Mbappe's total package of £192 million, he will become one of the highest-paid players in the world.
According to reports in Spain, the Reds academy product has told Anfield bosses he wants to join Real and take on a new challenge after 20 years at the club.
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But Merseyside sources say the club denies this and is still trying to tie Alexander-Arnold – and fellow out-of-contract stars Salah and Virgil van Dijk – to a new contract.
Real Madrid are also said to be interested in signing William Saliba from Arsenal.
However, last month Frenchman Mikel Arteta gave a boost by pledging his long-term future to the Gunners.
He emphasized: 'I feel at home here.
“I signed for the club five years ago, but it's only my third season and I'm enjoying everything: the players, the staff and the fans.”
When asked if he could imagine staying in the Emirates for a long time, he replied: “Yes, of course.”
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