Ligue 1

Liverpool transfer news: Alexander-Arnold, Malen & more

Xabi Alonso decides not to move to Liverpool after opening talks with Bayern Munich

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Trent Alexander-Arnold has been linked with Real Madrid, with my fellow columnists on here, Fabrizio Romano and Matteo Moretto providing some insight into the Spanish giants monitoring his contract situation at Liverpool.

I personally think it is highly unlikely that Trent Alexander-Arnold will leave Liverpool this summer, but of course the longer his new contract remains unsigned, the more you start to wonder. He is due to enter his final year in June, and from the club’s perspective, that is not a situation you want to be in with regards to one of your star players.

I’m not surprised to see Real Madrid linked. They are a club that makes a habit of targeting the best players in the world, and Alexander-Arnold is certainly one of those. As far as I’m aware, it’s no more than a ‘watching with interest’ situation, as opposed to bids, offers etc, but certainly the sooner Liverpool get Alexander-Arnold tied down to a new deal, the sooner those stories can be put to bed.

He’s such an important player for the Reds, and a symbol of Liverpool as a club too. He is, like Steven Gerrard previously, the home-grown star who represents both the city and the club. He’s the vice-captain, and primed to take over from Virgil van Dijk as skipper one day, and on top of that, he’s a world-class performer who makes a huge difference to the team. At 25, Liverpool would be mad to consider selling him, and I fully expect that with Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes now in place on the football administration side, a new deal will be finalised.

Xabi Alonso to Liverpool?

The situation regarding Xabi Alonso remains unchanged for now as far as I’m aware; there has been no indication of what he wants to do in the summer as his focus remains very much on Bayer Leverkusen and what could be an incredible end to the season.

German reports suggest that Bayern Munich is his favoured destination, but Alonso and his camp have been very quiet and until there is any clarity from their side, I think it’s a case of wait and see.

What is clear, as said previously, is that he is going to have at least three options to choose from this summer. Not a bad place for any young manager to be in!

If Alonso is not available, one thing is…

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