England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold finds himself in the middle of a tough battle between two of football's biggest giants. Liverpool are doing their best to keep him, while Real Madrid know they are just hours away from being able to put him on a contract to sign.
Several insiders have provided updates on the matter recently, but it appears there is one element of consensus: he will not leave Liverpool in January. Fabrizio Romano explained this in his latest update, a message he claims has been conveyed to Real Madrid.
In Spain, the trend is for Real Madrid to be increasingly confident a deal can be completed, with reports claiming negotiations are also 90% complete. The Athletic confirms the optimism on the Spanish side, and they believe Alexander-Arnold has been leaning towards a move to Spain for several months based on informal contact. They have offered a deal for a minimum of four years and a high sign-on fee.
Despite this, their Liverpool sources claim that Alexander-Arnold has had no previous talks with any club other than them and his stay is still on the table. Their report notes that Liverpool's slowness in opening talks with Alexander-Arnold is a factor in the situation even reaching this point.
Meanwhile, Matteo Moretto has written on Relevo that the news is… not news. His information is that there have been no significant developments in Alexander-Arnold's future recently. However, Real Madrid are optimistic and the decision-making phase is expected in the next two months.
Alexander-Arnold's decision will have knock-on effects elsewhere. If he goes to Real Madrid it could spell the end for one of their veterans, but if he doesn't they will have to look elsewhere to soften the impact of Dani Carvajal's long-term injury. Similarly, Liverpool will develop plans to replace Alexander-Arnold if he makes the move, with Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremy Frimpong regularly linked to Anfield.
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