The transfer saga involving Trent Alexander-Arnold has taken a surprise twist, according to fresh reports.
Alexander-Arnold's contract with Liverpool is due to expire in the summer and the Anfield outfit are desperate to tie him down to a fresh deal on Merseyside.
Fellow big hitters Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah are also in the same boat but there have been pressing concerns over Alexander-Arnold as Real Madrid have been heavily linked with the England international.
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With no deal signed at present, Alexander-Arnold is free to speak with foreign clubs in January and sign a pre-contract agreement for the summer.
Injury-hit Real are short at right-back after captain Dani Carvajal ruptured his ACL and was ruled out for the rest of the season. With that mind, it was reported that Los Blancos were exploring the idea of signing Alexander-Arnold in the January transfer window.
However, a new update from Relevo claims that Real have abandoned their ambitious plan to snap Alexander-Arnold up, with Carlo Ancelotti resigned to not making a single signing and finishing the season with his current options.
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After Eder Militao became the latest player to suffer an ACL injury, Aurelien Tchouameni is expected to deputise as a third centre-back for the foreseeable future.
It doesn't mean Real's interest in Alexander-Arnold has gone away and they very much remain a threat to Liverpool, who could lose one of their prized assets for nothing in the summer window.
Despite the situation and well-documented interest from arguably the world's biggest club, Alexander-Arnold has not been affected by the speculation according to manager Arne Slot.
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“These players are used to being linked with all the top clubs on a daily basis,” Slot said in October.
"If they have contracts or not. If you think they’re disturbed by these interests, then I think you don’t do justice to how strong they are mentally and what they are used to. This is part of our job."
Alexander-Arnold limped off with a hamstring issue in Liverpool's last game against Aston Villa and did not feature for England in the latest international break, though he is expected to return soon.
Topics: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Josh Lawless