Are Real Madrid confident of sealing a deal for Trent Alexander-Arnold? Or is their official approach for the fullback beginning to reek of desperation?
The seeds of panic were sown after Real Madrid made contact with Liverpool over a proposed January move ahead of the opening of the winter window.
Naturally, the Merseysiders made clear that they have no intention of parting ways with their vice-captain in the current window and the player himself hasn’t expressed a desire to leave at present.
Perhaps the most stark sign that Los Blancos’ confidence in the deal is misplaced is Tuesday night’s report that Carlo Ancelotti has now personally thrown his weight behind the move.
“Real Madrid are considering testing Liverpool’s resolve to keep Trent Alexander-Arnold this month by making a second approach for the defender,” Paul Joyce reported for The Times.
“The Spanish giants want to add Alexander-Arnold to their squad in January, but Liverpool emphatically dismissed the idea that the right back could leave six months before his contract is due to expire.
“No figures were discussed during that initial conversation but sources in Spain have indicated that Real would be willing to pay just over £20 million for the England international. With their head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, pushing for the signing, the Liga club are now weighing up whether to make further contact.
“Such a move would appear doomed to failure, however, with Liverpool having made their position clear, even though they risk losing Alexander-Arnold for nothing in the summer should he decide to leave.”
Managers expressing a desire for their clubs to sign world-class players is nothing new.
However, we’ve moved from a situation where Real Madrid are allegedly confident of sealing Trent’s signature in the summer (when his contract is due to expire) to pushing the matter in January.
There is squad context that can’t be ignored, of course, given that Dani Carvajal’s injury will leave the Madrid fullback sidelined until the summer, whilst his deputy, Lucas Vazquez, is 33. The Spanish champions need fresh blood – and you can’t do much better, if at all, than our No.66.
This may simply be a rare case of Carlo Ancelotti’s outfit overestimating Alexander-Arnold’s desire to join them.
Either way, it seems a bizarre miscalculation, if so, given that Liverpool are in the middle of a promising 2024/25 campaign that sees them topping both the Premier League and Champions League.
There’s no chance Trent Alexander-Arnold won’t want to see this through to a potentially glorious conclusion.
Ditto for the club.
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