Real Madrid have officially communicated to Liverpool their interest in signing talented right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in January, a report said. The La Liga giants, who have been linked to Liverpool academy product Trent for some time now, reached out to Anfield before making an official bid.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club in January. However, Real Madrid decided to get in touch with his current club first as a token of respect, TalkSport said in a report quoting sources at the Spanish capital.
Liverpool who have found a promising backup for Trent in Conor Bradley, is still wary of selling him and want to extend his stay. Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohammed Salah remain contract extension priorities for the former Premier League champions.
An attacking right-back who has also served as a midfielder in the national team, Trent is highly rated for his setpiece abilities and passing. Real Madrid captain and first-choice right-back Dani Carvajal suffered a horror injury during a league game against Villareal in October, bringing his season to an abrupt end. This is believed to have forced the Los Blancos to go after Trent Alexander-Arnold in the January transfer window.
Earlier reports claimed that the 25-year-old Englishman wanted to join Real as a free transfer in the summer of 2025. But Carvajal and many others in the defensive ranks including David Alaba, Lucas Vazquez and Eder Militao suffering injury blows have forced Real to consider bringing Trent on board in January itself. Although he didn't want to splash money mid-season, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is convinced that he will have to rope in a new right-back in January to keep his side's title defense hopes alive.
Meanwhile, reports in November had suggested that Liverpool are likely to propose a swap deal with Real Madrid. French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who has been struggling to impress Carlo Ancelotti, is a player that the Reds consider useful in the long run, reports said. Tchouameni has been named among players likely to leave the Spanish capital soon. Although the versatile youngster can play as a CDM, CM, and even as a CB at times, he has not been very effective for Real this season. Liverpool's interest in Tchouameni increased as a consequence of their failed effort to sign Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi. Arne Slot's team wanted him to be their new number 6 in the summer but the youngster ultimately turned down a transfer to Anfield. The 24-year-old, who joined Los Blancos in the summer of 2022, is valued at around £50 million.
However, there was no update on this swap deal happening between the two sides.
"TAA" is a close friend of Real's Jude Bellingham. Their camaraderie is also said to have played a role in the former's decision to leave the Merseyside club after two decades of association. When Jude decided to leave Borussia Dortmund, many Liverpool fans hoped he to choose their club as his destination due to his bond with Trent. Turns out, it is destined to happen the other way!
