Are we seriously about to let Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah or Virgil van Dijk head into 2025 without a contract offer on the table?
Talks, it should be emphasised, won’t be dead in the water if Liverpool fail to present fresh terms to the trio in question before the turn of the New Year.
However, one should imagine negotiations will be far more complex whilst Europe’s top outfits are whispering in their agents’ ears ahead of the summer transfer window.
Real Madrid, as we know already, have a pre-existing interest in the No.66’s services, and their recent practice of snapping up top stars on a free suggests a likely path of action here.
Decision-makers at Anfield should certainly take it as a serious point of concern that their counterparts over at the Bernabeu are increasingly optimistic about their chances of snapping Trent up.
Trent Alexander-Arnold lights up Liverpool v Man City
Not that major financial decisions should ever be based on one clip of match footage alone, but really Trent’s latest contributions in the famous red shirt should provide a firm reminder of his world-class abilities.
Our Academy graduate set mouths drooling with one exceptional ball in the opening half of action at L4, supplying a lofted ball into the path of Mo Salah’s run and taking out Man City’s backline in the process.
How many players in world football are capable of doing that on a weekly basis? Is there anyone Liverpool could sign to replace our vice-captain and his on-the-ball ability, in case he does opt for the sunnier streets of Spain’s capital?
You can catch the clip below, courtesy of @LFC (via @SMXLFC):
My word. This angle of the goal. Absolutely insane. pic.twitter.com/dt6jpGRePQ
— BEN (@SMXLFC) December 1, 2024
Arne Slot is turning Trent Alexander-Arnold into the complete defender
There’s an argument worth having over whether Arne Slot’s more restrained use of the right-back is restricting his on-the-ball value.
His latest exploits against the incumbent champions would suggest otherwise!
Remarkably, our Dutch head coach has succeeded in improving Alexander-Arnold’s work against the ball. He won 5/11 ground duels attempted against the Sky Blues to make it 23/36 ground duels won (63.88% win rate) in his last five Premier League appearances.
Not bad going for a fullback who some remain convinced can’t defend!
All the more reason that it would be far from unwise for Liverpool to do all they can to keep him at the club for as long as possible.
