The year-old is regarded as one of the best full-backs in world football, having contributed towards an astonishing goals 22 scored, 87 assists in his appearances in a Liverpool shirt. But with his deal expiring on June 30, Alexander-Arnold will be free to join a club of his choosing as a free agent just days from now.
And while both Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk are also out of contract at the same time, fears are growing that the deafening silence around vice-captain Alexander-Arnold will indeed point to an emotional exit from Anfield this summer.
Those fears grew louder a fortnight ago when a respected journalist listed SIX reasons why a move to Real Madrid was expected to go through. The report states Alexander-Arnold will sign an initial four-year deal at the Bernabeu, taking him through to the summer of , and affording him the chance to hook up with his best friend in football, Jude Bellingham, who is said to have proved an influential figure in helping persuade the year-old to quit Anfield. Furthermore, Spanish outlet Fichajes also claimed recently that the the LaLiga powerhouse have also convinced the player to make the move by offering him a huge signing-on bonus in lieu of the fact that they will not need to pay a penny for his transfer.
However, just like when the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba all recently arrived as free agents, Los Blancos are not going to announce the acquisition of Alexander-Arnold until the season is over β largely out of respect for Liverpool and also because the two sides could yet collide in the Champions League.
Understandably β and very wisely β Liverpool have been scouring the market for some would-be replacements for Alexander-Arnold and the club do seemingly have a number of options in mind. And more recently, reports in Brazil this week revealed the Reds have established first contact over a deal for a year-old Flamengo star , with the cost of a potential deal for the talented right-back also coming to light. Story by James Marshment.
