Liverpool has finally welcomed back all of its top stars following post-tournament holidays, and we can expect to see the returning internationals in one of the two friendlies at Anfield today. But how long Arne Slot gets to work with some of them remains to be seen, with question marks persisting over the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold — who is admired by Barcelona .
Alexander-Arnold has less than a year on his Liverpool contract, placing him in the same boat as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah . But unlike that duo, he is only just starting to enter his prime years, and a departure on a free transfer would be more or less the worst-case scenario.
Real Madrid has been the primary cause of worry, with various outlets reporting that the Spanish giant is monitoring the situation. But it seems both of La Liga's "big two" may be on the scene.
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According to AS , Barcelona is "very interested" in having Alexander-Arnold in the squad. However, his "magnificent" relationship with Jude Bellingham means Real Madrid could yet have the upper hand.
Meanwhile, Liverpool will of course do its best to sit down with Alexander-Arnold and hash out a new deal. That will be high up the priority list for Richard Hughes , the new sporting director at Anfield.
However, per the report, Liverpool is operating under relatively strict conditions when it comes to a contract extension. It is "not against" a renewal, but will not do anything "crazy" in terms of salary in a bid to keep hold of its vice-captain.
What constitutes a crazy offer is anyone's guess, but it seems plausible that Alexander-Arnold would need to be brought into the region of Salah's salary, with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona able to offer big wages along with a healthy signing-on bonus.
Interestingly, Liverpool is said to be slightly more relaxed than it might have been because of the emergence of Conor Bradley. There are very high hopes for the Northern Irishman, who has the tools to be a similarly potent offensive weapon from right-back.
Liverpool.com says: Bradley is almost the archetypal example of an attacking full-back. He's a bit like a right-sided prime Andy Robertson.
That's huge praise. But it does not provide a reason to accept the departure of Alexander-Arnold, who is a truly generational talent in terms of his vision, technique and execution.
It's little wonder the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona are circling. You'd imagine the Bellingham factor would swing it, but Liverpool will be banking on the draw of Alexander-Arnold becoming an all-time legend at his boyhood club.
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