Trent Alexander-Arnold ‘on the verge’ of agreeing Real Madrid transfer

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is “on the verge” of leaving his boyhood club to agree a free transfer with Real Madrid next summer, according to a report in Spain.

The academy graduate is one of three first-team stars on Merseyside who started the season with just a year left on their contracts. While Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are both thought to be keen on staying at Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold has done nothing to quash the numerous links to Real Madrid.

As 1 January hurtles into view, marking the point at which players with contracts expiring in June 2025 can begin negotiations with foreign clubs, Liverpool look increasingly likely to lose their playmaking defender.

MARCA recently claimed that Alexander-Arnold had informed the club of his desire to join Madrid next summer and now AS report that the deal is “90%” complete. The only element missing from the agreement is the player’s signature, which cannot be applied until the start of the new year.

Alexander-Arnold is thought to have repeatedly turned down extension offers from his current employer, enticed instead by the chance to play for the record European champions.

The latest report claims that a deal will be done “soon, very soon” as Madrid have decided that they need a youthful alternative to the ageing (and injured) Dani Carvajal. If a move for Alexander-Arnold unexpectedly falls through, Madrid are thought to have Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro, Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong and Sevilla youngster Juanlu lined up as alternatives.

There is no chance of Madrid paying a fee to whisk Alexander-Arnold away from Anfield in January, but the club are “firmly optimistic” that a free transfer next summer will be signed and sealed in the coming weeks. However, any agreement may not be officially announced until the end of the season to avoid undermining Alexander-Arnold’s final few months at Liverpool.