When will Trent Alexander-Arnold return to Liverpool? Real Madrid enters transfer 'talks'

A steady trickle of Liverpool players are returning to Liverpool for pre-season, with new faces linking up with Arne Slot for the first time. But Trent Alexander-Arnold is not expected back for a little while after England duty , and is now the subject of Real Madrid transfer rumors.

Yesterday, Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson linked up with the squad. It looked as though the former had secured qualification for the Euro 2024 knockouts at the expense of the latter when Hungary beat Scotland in the dramatic final group game, but results elsewhere meant that both teams went home early.

England, of course, went all the way to the final, falling to Spain at the final hurdle, while Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz made the final of the Copa America. As was also the case under Jurgen Klopp , the club will now allow those players a break before they return to Liverpool.

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Nobody would begrudge Alexander-Arnold a break, even if Gareth Southgate didn't work him especially hard on the pitch. But there will be a degree of anxiety at Liverpool, given the emergence of these Real Madrid links.

According to Bild , initial talks have taken place over a move to the Spanish capital for Alexander-Arnold. He likes the idea of a move, as his Liverpool contract enters its final year.

Even before these rumors started circulating, it would have been a top priority for Liverpool to try and thrash out an extension with Alexander-Arnold as soon as he returns from his break. That's now become even more critical.

Of course, the club doesn't necessarily have to wait that long. There were the famous pictures of Mohamed Salah signing his new contract while away on holiday, and perhaps Alexander-Arnold could replicate that.

But either way, Slot will not get the chance to sit down and talk to Alexander-Arnold for a little while yet. The ECHO reports that Liverpool "traditionally" grants players a three-week break — that more or less tallies with the returns of Szoboszlai and Robertson, so we shouldn't expect to see the international finalists back until August.

That means Alexander-Arnold will miss the pre-season trip to the US. There will only be a short window of preparation before the campaign proper gets underway, but Liverpool should nonetheless be planning to dedicate some of that time to negotiations.

Liverpool.com says: What we'd give for a Salah-esque photo of Alexander-Arnold on holiday, new contract on the table with Richard Hughes beaming next to him. But as long as things are sorted out quickly once he's back at Liverpool, a few weeks shouldn't do much harm.

Even so, these Real Madrid links have rammed home the reality of his contract situation. Liverpool really needs to get a move on, with Salah and Virgil van Dijk in similar boats.