Liverpool have offered Trent Alexander-Arnold a contract worth £78m in an effort to keep the England international at Anfield next season.
With academy graduate and hometown hero Alexander-Arnold attracting interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid, Liverpool have now offered their star a mammoth deal to try to persuade him to stay on Merseyside.
Trent’s current contract is up in the summer, with a possible move to Madrid heavily reported.
But the Reds are not going to lose their man without a fight, and have tabled a new, five-year deal worth a total of £78m.
That figure is similar to the £300,000-a-week offer reportedly tabled by Real Madrid, though the fullback could also expect a large signing bonus if he moved to the Bernabeu this summer.
The 26-year-old would move as a free agent, allowing Madrid to acquire a top-rate talent without paying any transfer fee.
But with the possibility of becoming an Anfield legend or joining Los Blancos at possibly the biggest club in the world, it’s a huge dilemma for the player.
Liverpool Offer Trent Alexander-Arnold Monster Contract
There’s no doubting the size of the decision facing Trent Alexander-Arnold. Liverpool believe they have done all they can to keep him.
Few players in world football have ever turned down Real Madrid, though. One who has so far rejected Los Blancos is Rodri, Manchester City’s Ballon d’Or winning midfielder.
Yet, even he said ‘when Real Madrid call, you must always listen’, regarding a possible move in 2022.
From the player’s side, Trent Alexander-Arnold knows he is likely to be given the Liverpool captaincy once Virgil van Dijk is no longer an automatic starter.
There is also almost zero chance of the fullback leaving in January. Not only would the club never sanction such a move in the middle of a title race, but there is no incentive for the player to jump ship before likely winning another Premier League title.
Trent has publicly stated he does not wish for a messy negotiation or to fuel rumours about his future.
He said: “I have signed four or five contract extensions and none of those have been played out in public – and this one won’t be either.”
As well as offering Alexander-Arnold a huge new contract, Liverpool are also reportedly confident of keeping both Van Dijk and Mo Salah.
Like Trent, both are out of contract in the summer and are now free to speak to foreign clubs. With massive interest – particularly from Saudi Arabia – there have been plenty of rumours.
But it seems Liverpool now believe they will secure new deals for the pair ahead of the summer.
