Fabrizio Romano is adamant Trent Alexander-Arnold’s first priority remains to negotiate a new deal with Liverpool despite Real Madrid’s unbelievable salary offer to the right-back finally coming to light.
The 26-year-old Liverpool vice-captain is out of contract on June 30 next year and will be eligible to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with interested overseas suitors from January 1 – just 70 days from now. And with the player regarded as one of the world’s best right-backs, it is easy to see why some associated with the red half of Merseyside are starting to feel slightly concerned.
Strongly linked with a free-transfer move to Real Madrid, it’s reported that Alexander-Arnold will be offered a deal worth £14m to £15m a year at the Bernabeu and on a contract until the summer of 2030. Per Caught Offside, that would be worth around £288,000 a week – or £75m over the duration of a five-year deal.
Addressing his YouTube channel, though, Romano has reaffirmed that the 26-year-old’s first focus is on negotiating terms to extend his deal at Anfield and has denied reports suggesting the player has already confirmed his plans to leave Anfield.
“As of today, Liverpool deny to have any communication from the player or his camp that he is not going to accept the contract,” says the journalist. “Trent Alexander-Arnold remains in contact with Liverpool and he’s talking to Liverpool.
“Then, Real Madrid are there, they will be there, they have been there for months, since March, working on Trent Alexander-Arnold as a dream target. They are monitoring the situation. Real Madrid when there is a top player like Trent potentially available as a free agent they are always very attentive. This is what they’re doing. Let’s see when and if they’ll make contact.
“What I’m hearing is that to think about a January transfer is really complicated,” adds Romano. “We had these kinds of rumours but I don’t see that at the moment, this is not something realistic.
“What we can say is that he remains top of the list for Real Madrid as right-back. But it depends what happens with Liverpool. As of today Trent didn’t tell Liverpool ‘I’m leaving’.”
Alexander-Arnold future: Liverpool confident they can agree new deal
With an incredible 103 goal contributions in 320 Liverpool games, Alexander-Arnold’s importance to Liverpool cannot be stated enough; it’s also quite clear to understand why Real Madrid are so keen to bring him to the Bernabeu, with the chance to land the 33-cap England star on a free transfer massively appealing.
Despite the massive contract offer from Real Madrid, our understanding of the situation is that Liverpool remain ‘calm and confident’ that Alexander-Arnold – and his teammate Virgil van Dijk – will both agree to fresh terms at Anfield.
The Reds hold a strong relationship with the player’s father, Michael Arnold, who handles all his business arrangements and is himself a lifelong Liverpool fan. And owners FSG were under no illusions that any new offer to keep Alexander-Arnold was likely to be the second largest in their history behind the £350,000 a week deal currently enjoyed by Mo Salah.
The player himself has also hinted at his happiness at Anfield and how he dreams of skippering his hometown club to major honours in the future.
“I have always said I want to captain the club. That is a goal of mine, whether that happens is out of my hands,” Alexander-Arnold told the media last month following a routine Anfield win over Bournemouth.
“I want to be a Liverpool player this season (as a minimum) is what I will say.”
Asked what could influence that decision, he added: “The most important thing is always trophies. I want to win trophies.
“We were close to the title last season and we got a cup. The (quadruple) was on for a while I suppose.
“This season we are looking really good, it is still early days, but we need a lot of consistency. It will be difficult but we are looking to win as many trophies as we can.”
Latest Liverpool transfer news – Serie A star wants Reds move / Atletico star eyed
Meanwhile, Bologna star Sam Beukema has outlined his dreams to one day play for Liverpool, despite having grown up supporting West Ham.
The Dutch centre-half has featured 10 times this season, including appearing against the Reds in the Champions League, and he has admitted his desire to one day sign for the Reds after what he describes as a “magical sensation”.
Elsewhere, Liverpool are also being linked with a move to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios. With Martin Zubimendi taken off the table and with Arne Slot still desperate to add another midfielder to his ranks, a tempting clause in the 21-year-old’s deal is now thought to have caught the Reds’ attention.
Barrios is not the only player with Atletico ties the Reds are eyeing, either, with reports in Spain this week also outlining Liverpool interest in a goal a game striker, with Slot seemingly seeking an upgrade for a player whom has struggled to get to grips with his tactical instructions.
Real Madrid’s top earners and where Alexander-Arnold would rank
Alexander-Arnold would be joining a collection of Galacticos in Madrid who are all paid handsomely in accordance with their superstar status.
According to sports finance website Capology, the reigning European champions have the third-highest wage bill in the world, behind only Al-Nassr of the Saudi Pro League and French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Madrid’s total estimated salary outlay for the current season is a whopping £227,418,247 (€273.4million/US$294.9m).
It’s no surprise that Los Blancos’ top individual earner is Kylian Mbappe. The 86-cap France international takes, who was signed this past summer as a free agent after his PSG contract expired, takes home £500,696 (€601,924/US$649,465) per week.
It might surprise some observers, however, that Vinicius Junior, the current 2024 Ballon d’Or favourite, is not Madrid’s next highest-paid player. He ranks only third, with a weekly wage of £333,743 (€401,217/US$432,906).
Instead it is David Alaba, the versatile Austrian defender who joined on a free from Bayern Munich two years ago, who is listed second. He is said to earn £360,500 (€433,384/$US467,613) per week.
