Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of three Liverpool players in the final year of their contracts, and some fear the Real Madrid target is the most likely to be affected by interest from elsewhere.

Along with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, both in their 30s, Alexander-Arnold is a player whose future Liverpool must resolve, preferably before the start of 2025, as he can sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club. Like Real Madrid back then.

Ultimately, it will be up to Alexander-Arnold to determine his fate and decide whether he wants to sign a new deal with Liverpool or let his contract expire so he can sign for a new club.

Real Madrid are not the only suitors for the 26-year-old player, but they are the contender most linked to his signing and TEAMtalk has learned that they are confident that Liverpool is the only club that can prevent his signing.

Their interest stems from the fact that they need a long-term successor to Dani Carvajal, who will miss most of this season through injury and, turning 33 in January, will be in a challenging battle to regain his previous levels.

Although Carvajal came fourth in voting for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, that was largely due to his club’s achievements. Alexander-Arnold He is one of the best right-backs in the world and has every right to be in the race to move to Real Madrid, where he would be perceived as an improvement.

But Liverpool are also flying at the moment, so what will make them lean one way or the other when deciding who they want to play for next season and beyond?

Reasons to stay

Creating a single club legacy

Nowadays there are not too many players from a single club, not only because the age of loyalty is decreasing, but also because many young people are having loan experiences before breaking into the first team. Alexander-Arnold never needed that, instead working his way up to becoming a first-team regular at Anfield and never looking back. Alexander-Arnold could cement his legendary status at Liverpool by committing to the club during his prime years. Whether he ends up retiring as a one-club man or not (in other words, he could have a late-career experience elsewhere like Steven Gerrard had when he left for the LA Galaxy), Alexander-Arnold will stay at Liverpool in the foreseeable future. It would be a story to satisfy the traditionalists and also enhance his legacy in the Premier League.

Opportunity to become captain

When Jordan Henderson and James Milner left Liverpool in 2023, their captaincy hierarchy underwent a shake-up. Alexander-Arnold was one of the main beneficiaries, being named vice-captain behind Van Dijk. Van Dijk is seven years older than Alexander-Arnold, so the academy graduate is likely to be promoted to the full-time captain’s role at some point or another if he stays, which would be the culmination of his impressive rise through the ranks. rows. If outside interest were removed, Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool career would theoretically last longer than Van Dijk’s. He could become Liverpool’s first captain since Gerrard himself, standing out as a strong representative of one of the best clubs in the country.

Less pressure?

This is a debatable point, but one could argue that Alexander-Arnold would face more pressure at Real Madrid, where expectations are constantly sky-high, than at Liverpool, where once again there are demanding expectations but also an understanding and affection for what Alexander-Arnold brings to the team. If he has a couple of bad games for Liverpool then unless his form drops over a sustained period of time he will be forgotten quite quickly. If the same thing happened at the beginning of his career at Madrid, he could start to feel the pressure. Of course, a player of his ability should back himself, but there have been examples before of a dream move turning into a nightmare, which he would want to avoid.

established role

For almost eight years, Alexander-Arnold has been Liverpool’s main right-back. Thanks to his good performance, he has rarely been threatened for the starting job. Even since Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield dugout, Alexander-Arnold has retained the same degree of belief, so he could hope to continue his pace if he were to remain at Liverpool. It would give him a solid platform from which to enjoy his best years. In comparison, he would face more competition for his place at Real Madrid, where he would have to adapt to a new way of playing.

Setting records in the Premier League

Alexander-Arnold already has his name along with some surprising facts from his time as a Premier League player. For example, he has the most assists in the history of the competition for a defender. What more could he achieve by continuing to add to his impressive collection of statistics? In the last five seasons before this one started, he averaged around nine assists per season in the league. If he continues at that rate, he may reach 100 Premier League assists by his 30th birthday season. While he’s unlikely to reach the all-time overall record, he has incredible numbers for a defenseman and could make up some more ground. -Breaking achievements.

Reasons to leave

Constant expectation of big trophies.

While Alexander-Arnold has amassed a respectable collection of medals with Liverpool, winning almost everything there is to win, the sheer frequency of honors he could expect to collect at Real Madrid may outweigh them. Madrid are the most successful club in the Champions League, winning two of the last three finals and five of the last nine, and could allow Alexander-Arnold to add some more glittering honors to his cabinet. Winning trophies with Liverpool will always be special for Alexander-Arnold, but he could be even more decorated at Real Madrid, and in a time when people seem obsessed with honors when judging a player, that could have certain weight.

Ballon d’Or ambitions

Alexander-Arnold recently hinted that he would like to challenge for the Ballon d’Or while he is in the prime of his career. And although Manchester City’s Rodri won the Ballon d’Or in 2024, in recent times it has been claimed more frequently by LaLiga players than by Premier League players. Only once has a Liverpool player won the Ballon d’Or; There have, on the contrary, been 12 occasions in which a Real Madrid player has done so, the most of any club. Alexander-Arnold could boost his chances of winning football’s biggest individual award by standing out in a star-studded Real Madrid side with his own unique role.

Experience a different culture

On the one hand, Alexander-Arnold is in his comfort zone, playing for his childhood club and the only team he has ever known. That may suit him, but he may also be eager to challenge himself in a different league and culture. Spanish football is experiencing a resurgence: the men’s team is the current European champion, the women’s team is the current world champion and La Liga’s representative, Real Madrid, is the current European champion at club level, and It would be fascinating to see how he would adapt to that style of play. The lifestyle would also mean a change for Alexander-Arnold and, deep down, who wouldn’t prefer Spanish climates?

Bellingham Link

If he moved to Real Madrid, Alexander-Arnold could join another English superstar: Jude Bellingham. The pair get along well thanks to being international teammates and that may help Alexander-Arnold settle in the Spanish capital. Bellingham has certainly hit the ground running after joining Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund and Alexander-Arnold could be backed to do the same. English players abroad can often become popular and Real Madrid could form a team that includes two of the best.

without regret

Who knows, but this opportunity may never arise again. Real Madrid has shown itself determined to wait for the right target in cases like Kylian Mbappé, but its need to reinforce itself at right back is increasingly urgent and if it is not with Alexander-Arnold, It could be with one of several alternatives. The ship could sail. In that case, Alexander-Arnold could make the decision for him, but would he look back with any regrets? When he moved to Madrid he could say that he had tested himself in the most illustrious settings. If not, you will have had a splendid career, but you will have to consider whether you will be asking yourself ‘what if?’ when you reach the end of your career (hopefully, there’s still a long way to go).

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Other decisive factors

england paper

While Alexander-Arnold’s role with Liverpool has been dominant in terms of the consistency of his playing time, the same cannot be said for his England career. Of course, he has more competition at international level, but he was often overlooked by Gareth Southgate. Now you might wonder what Thomas Tuchel thinks of him. Naturally, his form at club level will affect the decisions of the new England manager. But will Alexander-Arnold benefit from staying in the spotlight in English football, or could it really benefit him to prove his worth abroad? There are arguments either way, but the Three Lions’ recent coaching change means this could be a clean slate for Alexander-Arnold in an England shirt and he has an impression to make.

Money

Alexander-Arnold has seen his salary increase over time at Liverpool, becoming one of their highest-paid players. In your next deal, you may want to be elevated to the position of being your primary earner. It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will appease that ambition. Meanwhile, in Madrid he would not be the one who earns the most, due to the fortune that Mbappé is receiving, but he could still take home a higher salary than what he currently earns at Liverpool. There are more important footballing factors to consider, but as always with players of this caliber, money could play a part. This is already becoming one of the great off-field sagas of the season; Alexander-Arnold has a lot to weigh.