Real Madrid Eye Move For Manchester United Star As Trent Alexander-Arnold Alternative
Real Madrid continue to be linked with a move for Liverpool vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold whose contract expires at the end of the current season. The 26-year-old will be free to begin negotiating a pre-contract with foreign clubs from January 1, 2025.
It is believed that Carlo Ancelotti's side view Alexander-Arnold as a long-term successor to Dani Carvajal at right-back. Carvajal has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury back in October.
Madrid are hoping Alexander-Arnold's friendship with Jude Bellingham could play a key role in luring the England defender to Spain on a free transfer next summer. The pair have developed a close bond during various England camps.
Alexander-Arnold has made 326 appearances for his boyhood club since debuting in 2016 and has played a crucial role in winning the Premier League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup, Emirates FA Cup, two League Cups, and Community Shield.
He is one of the key players under new head coach Arne Slot, having made 16 appearances and registering two assists in all competitions as Liverpool lead both the Premier League and Champions League standings.
Despite Real Madrid expressing interest in Trent Alexander-Arnold, the current Champions League holders have set sights on Manchester United right-back Diogo Dalot as an alternative to the England right-back, according to Spanish outlet Relevo.
The report claims Dalot is valued at around £41million (€50milllion) by Man United, having already been approached by Real Madrid while Erik ten Hag was still in charge of the club. The Portugal international has been ever-present for the Red Devils this season, racking up 21 appearances and providing two assists across all competitions.
The 25-year-old, who has made over 170 appearances for Manchester United since joining the club in the summer of 2018 from FC Porto was voted the player of the year by his team-mates last season, starting 35 of 38 Premier League games and scoring twice. With four years left on his remaining Man United contract after putting pen-to-paper on a new deal in May 2023, the club are under no pressure to sell him.
Diogo Dalot has been a key player this term and has yet to miss a single minute in the Premier League and according to new head coach Ruben Amorim, he must manage the minutes of the full-back in the upcoming games.
Amorim told reporters: "He’s very powerful. We have to rotate him sometimes because although he always looks fresh, it’s not like that, he’s not a machine. He’s a very good player. He’s better on the right and we will play him there more [but] nowadays a player who can play on both sides is perfect because you can put him in different positions.
"I expect the same as you saw last season. A great player who can help the team. He's really a team player, you can feel it in the way he lives the game, so he’s very important for us."
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LFC Transfer Room Football Correspondent. Covered the fortunes of Liverpool for the past three years. Follow Joseph on X (formerly Twitter) @joseph_agbobli