It was the news Liverpool fans expected, but did not want: Real Madrid has prioritized the signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold. With the defender's contract approaching its final six months, a former Everton man has contributed to the headache now faced by the club .
According to The Athletic , Alexander-Arnold tops a list of full-back targets for Real Madrid as it eyes a long-term Dani Carvajal successor. The veteran's serious injury has only accelerated the conversation.
In many ways, it's a self-inflicted problem for Liverpool. Expensive new contracts were seemingly not a top priority while FSG explored selling the club, and since the owners' decision to stay, there has been huge churn behind the scenes. Michael Edwards is now back, and the highly-regarded Richard Hughes has been made sporting director, but they inherited a contract situation that was already hurtling toward crisis.
Of course, they are simultaneously tasked with resolving the futures of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk . But on paper, at least, Alexander-Arnold's renewal should be straightforward, as he enters his peak years at his boyhood club.
Yet having been allowed to enter the final year of his deal, it's only natural that Alexander-Arnold has started to consider his options. And as they come, Real Madrid is always likely to be a tempting one.
Alexander-Arnold has repeatedly stressed that trophies are a key factor in his decision . Few teams can match Real Madrid in that regard.
It doesn't help that Liverpool has been directly bested by Real Madrid in two different Champions League finals, each within Alexander-Arnold's career. The most recent defeat came in 2022 at the hands of Carlo Ancelotti.
And according to Football Insider , it's Ancelotti who is pushing hard to bring Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid. Many have speculated that the veteran could make way for Xabi Alonso next summer, but he is nonetheless said to be making the case for the signing to the club board.
It's claimed that Ancelotti has been an admirer of Alexander-Arnold since his own spell in the Premier League as Everton boss. He is now the "driving force" behind the transfer.
Few would have predicted that Ancelotti would be at Real Madrid for three seasons and counting when he swapped Goodison Park for the Bernabeu in 2021. Demonstrating its remarkable capacity for mediocrity, Everton could only manage 10th in its final season under the renowned boss, whose career appeared to be tapering out.
However, those of an Everton persausion will at least get some joy out of the claim that their old manager could now help to deprive Liverpool of its generational homegrown talent. Let's hope that for once, Real Madrid does not get its way.
Liverpool.com says: It remains something of a mystery how Everton lured Ancelotti in the first place. The Toffees look laughably out of place on the list of clubs the 65-year-old has managed.
This century, it reads as follows: Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, Real Madrid. His time at Goodison feels like a fever dream.
That makes it all the more amusing that he could only guide Everton to 12th and then 10th. From his perspective, it looks as though the most meaningful thing to come out of his time on Merseyside was an appreciation for the brilliance of Alexander-Arnold.
Unfortunately, that is now a bit of a nuisance for Liverpool. But Real Madrid, regardless of its manager, was surely always bound to be on alert when Alexander-Arnold's contract entered its final year.
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