Trent Alexander-Arnold has been one of Europe's finest attacking defenders in recent seasons and his performances have garnered attention from some of the biggest clubs.
His devotion to Liverpool is obvious but with Jurgen Klopp leaving the club in the summer, the futures of some at the Merseyside club appear in doubt.
With his contract set to expire next season and currently no reports of talks being underway for a new deal, questions surrounding Alexander-Arnold's future in England are being asked.
One of those questions is: could he look to join Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid? They are the latest club to be linked with signing the 25-year-old as part of a potentially lavish summer spending spree.
The Sporting News takes a look at some recent reports and his contract situation at the club.
MORE: Why is Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool?
Could Trent Alexander-Arnold really sign for Real Madrid?
Could it have been 'Agent Jude' orchestrating the whole transfer saga, rather than Alexander-Arnold himself?
Amidst Liverpool fans' excitement over the prospect of the coveted Borussia Dortmund midfielder coming to Anfield instead of the Santiago Bernabeu, many Reds noticed the camaraderie between Jordan Henderson, Alexander-Arnold, and Bellingham during England camps.
This led to speculation that the Liverpool duo were persuading Bellingham to choose Merseyside. However, reality struck when Bellingham signed for Los Blancos, where he has been the undisputed star in what looks like being a successful season under Carlo Ancelotti. But what if it was Bellingham attempting to lure Alexander-Arnold to Madrid all along?
Alexander-Arnold is among three senior Liverpool players whose contracts are due to end in 2025, alongside Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. The latter two will be 33 and 32, respectively, once the 2024/25 Premier League season begins, which means the Reds may already be putting plans in place to find long-term replacements for two of their finest modern players. Losing Alexander-Arnold would arguably be a more bitter pill to swallow.
Speculation regarding a potential transfer to Real Madrid for the right-back arose last week, initially reported by Fabrizio Romano.
🚨⚪️ Real Madrid are monitoring Trent Alexander-Arnold's contract situation at Liverpool.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 22, 2024
Current deal expires in June '25 with no talks underway as of now.
Liverpool have not indicated any desire to sell at this stage.
There's no indication of player's views so far. pic.twitter.com/2rCywx2yjH
Naturally, this has stirred concerns among fans, fearing the departure of a beloved defender who was born and raised in the city and has spent his whole career at Anfield.
However, as per the Daily Mail, Alexander-Arnold has "shown no inclination towards joining Real". The report from the Mail added that Alexander-Arnold would love to be Liverpool captain one day, suggesting a move to Madrid is far from his mind.
Trent Alexander-Arnold contract, salary, wages at Liverpool
Alexander-Arnold signed a new four-year contract in 2021 that will run until June, 2025.
According to Capology, the 25-year-old earns a base wage of £180,000 ($230,000) per week, giving him an annual salary of £9.36 million ($11.97m).
Trent Alexander-Arnold career stats, trophies won
In May 2022, after Liverpool's win over Chelsea in the 2022 FA Cup final, Alexander-Arnold achieved a historic milestone by becoming the youngest player ever to secure six major trophies for an English club.
These trophies include the FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Premier League, FA Cup, and EFL (Carabao) Cup, all attained by the age of 23.
Trent Alexander-Arnold team trophies won
| Competition | Titles Won | Seasons Won |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 1 | 2019/20 |
| UEFA Champions League | 1 | 2018/19 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 2022 |
| EFL Cup | 2 | 2022, 2024 |
| Community Shield | 1 | 2022/23 |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 1 | 2020 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 1 | 2019/20 |
