New Trent Alexander-Arnold contract claim emerges as Liverpool 'ready to make $387k offer'

Liverpool is close to a breakthrough over the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold , according to one report. It is ready to table a massive contract offer .

Per Anfield Index , Liverpool could offer terms through 2028 to Alexander-Arnold, on a salary packet that would place him near Mohamed Salah territory. It would be worth as much as $387k (£300k/€356k) per week.

The 25-year-old is "close" to signing amid this apparent development, with Liverpool closing in on sorting one of the summer's three big contract concerns. The futures of Salah and Virgil van Dijk will still need to be resolved, while the wait goes on for Arne Slot's first piece of business in the transfer market.

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But while supporters will expect transfer dealings, there's little doubt that Alexander-Arnold's future is the number one worry. Getting it sorted would be a huge success for the new backroom structure, put in place by the returning Michael Edwards .

For instance, it would be an early relief for the new sporting director Richard Hughes. The Athletic reports that he has made a new Alexander-Arnold deal a priority, with the club "desperate" to find a resolution.

This all comes amid links to Real Madrid, with whom Alexander-Arnold would be free to negotiate a free transfer in a little over five months. This would clearly be the nightmare scenario for Liverpool, who would not only be losing a generational player but losing him for nothing.

But discussing the news, the Anfield Index "Daily Red" podcast suggested that a deal until 2028 would be an ideal compromise for player and club. Alexander-Arnold would still be in his 20s when such a deal began to wind down again, and perhaps he could assess his options at that point if he wanted to explore a fresh challenge.

Liverpool will be more than happy to cross that bridge when it comes to it if it means Alexander-Arnold ending the immediate speculation over his future. It's just a report, but it would be a hugely positive development.

Liverpool.com says: Fingers crossed that this one is true. It would be a bigger deal for the new regime than any transfer it might be able to make.

That's not to say that new contracts should be an excuse for inactivity in the transfer market, given that Liverpool can work on renewals all year round, and only has a short window to recruit. Even so, if the summer ends with a new deal for Alexander-Arnold, everything else will feel somewhat secondary.