With the transfer deadline just days away, there is promise of a busy week at Liverpool.
On the pitch, things have been going swimmingly for Arne Slot in the opening games of the season. The Reds have won two from two in the Premier League.
Off it, the seas have been a little more choppy. Liverpool remain the only club in Europe’s top seven leagues yet to make a signing this year and there is work for Richard Hughes and Slot to do.
Moves do look like they are being made to that effect, with reports on Monday that Liverpool are pursuing a deal for Federico Chiesa.
At the other end of the scale, supporters may also be wary of any surprising late outgoings. With his contract situation not yet resolved, Trent Alexander-Arnold may be one to keep an eye on.
Could Trent Alexander-Arnold leave Liverpool?
Alexander-Arnold fanned the flames of his current contract standoff at the weekend following his substitution against Brentford.
Having been taken off with 20 minutes or so left to play, Alexander-Arnold was visibly upset with Slot and made sure everyone knew about it.
While this is hopefully little more than a top-class player being disappointed at being subbed, it obviously led to suggestions that all is not well with the academy graduate and the new head coach.
Given Real Madrid’s long-standing interest in Alexander-Arnold, perhaps there is reasonable cause to worry ahead of Friday’s transfer deadline.
According to journalist Mark Ogden, though, the chances of the Spanish giants coming in for Trent between now and Friday are ‘very, very slim.’
Speaking on ESPN, Ogden said that although Liverpool may well consider a ‘big’ offer from Madrid if it did come, that isn’t expected to happen.
“I think it’s very, very slim but if Real Madrid make a big offer then Liverpool might have to consider it,” says the reporter.
“But I think Real Madrid’s idea is to wait until the end of the season when maybe Dani Carvajal moves on and Trent is out of contract.”
How much would tempt Liverpool into selling?
There would have been hope at Anfield that Alexander-Arnold’s new contract would have been sorted by this point of the summer.
That it hasn’t been obviously leads to genuine fears about what the future looks like for Trent and Liverpool.
It does seem unlikely that anything is coming imminently from Madrid, and we don’t really see what the benefit would be from their point of view.
Even though he has less than a year left on his deal, Alexander-Arnold would still cost a bomb to get out of Liverpool now, especially so close to the end of the window.
Nevertheless, if a bid does come and the right-back tells Liverpool he wants out, then the Reds would surely be better off negotiating rather than letting Trent walk for free next year. Perhaps something in the region of £60-70m might well force Liverpool’s hand. Nervous times.
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