Real Madrid ‘bring forward’ Alexander-Arnold plan as report claims Liverpool ‘will accept’ swap offer

Real Madrid have reportedly held internal meetings to bring forward their plans to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold to January – and a report from Spain claims a swap offer will be green-lit by Liverpool, though they may still have a battle to talk both players into the move.

The right-back will be out of contract at Liverpool on June 30, just over seven months from now, and will be eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with the Spanish giants from January 1. Regarded as one of the best full-backs in world football, Alexander-Arnold has contributed towards an impressive 102 goals in his 325 appearances for the Reds – a goal contribution every 3.18 games.

While Real Madrid‘s long-term plan had always been to sign the 26-year-old as a free agent in summer 2025, they are now reported to be looking to bring forward that arrangement to the January window in light of a double defensive setback that has left Carlo Ancelotti short on numbers.

And with both regular right-back Dani Carvajal and centre-half Eder Militao – who had been considered by Los Blancos as an option to play at full-back – both succumbing to serious knee injuries, Marca reports the Spanish giants have now held a series of meetings to see if they can ‘bring forward’ their plan to land player – seen as a ‘sure thing’ for the summer – to the January window instead.

To facilitate the deal, the report claims Real are ready to ‘sacrifice’ midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni in part of a player-plus-cash deal that will see the French star, plus €25m (£21m, $26.6m) heading to Anfield.

Now the report claims there is a belief at the Bernabeu that Liverpool ‘will accept’ their offer – and all that remains is for the two players to agree to the move themselves.

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However, a move in the winter window remains far from certain with both Alexander-Arnold and Tchouameni needing to be convinced to ditch their respective clubs mid-season.

Alexander-Arnold, for his part, was reported earlier this week to be unwilling to force through an exit in January, so as not to leave on a sour note, nor to disrupt what is shaping up to be a very successful season under Arne Slot.

And while TEAMtalk sources have confirmed officials from Real Madrid have been in what has been described to us as ‘constant contact’ over a potential deal with the player’s entourage, it is still far from certain if he will quit Anfield for certain.

Despite the noises coming from the Spanish media, it is our understanding that Alexander-Arnold is still yet to make up his mind and will see out the season at Anfield at the very least.

As for Tchouameni, he is also to be convinced of the merits of making the move. And while he has come in for stick from his own supporters in recent weeks, he is seemingly not yet ready to abandon his Bernabeu dream.

To that end, a move in the January window for either player at this stage does look difficult to pull off.

Ancelotti also recently distanced himself from claims Real could look to dip their toes into the January transfer waters.

“I have not asked for new signings in January as last year we managed the situation well,” Ancelotti told the media in October. “The same will happen this year.”

Regarding his situation and a possible extension at Anfield, Alexander-Arnold said in September: “I want to be a Liverpool player this season [as a minimum] is what I will say.

“I have been at the club 20 years now. 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.”

Alexander-Arnold has also made clear the benefits to his game that Slot has brought.

“He helps me and teaches me a lot,” Alexander-Arnold told FeyenoordPings. “He is strict with me, I like that. He helps me with the weak points in my game and he wants me to improve.”

Alexander-Arnold added: “He tells me where to stand to get the ball. You don’t get the ball there because someone will mark you, so why would you stand there?

“And if you are marked and other people come in and Ryan Gravenberch is marked, there is space behind him and you look for depth.

“It’s very in-depth. Very detailed. He always studies the opponent thoroughly and tells us where their weak spots are. Then we have to punish them on the field.

“The training sessions are much more intense. The spaces are much smaller. It’s a very Dutch way of playing, in terms of ball handling.

“You always have to play to the back foot. If you don’t, he stops the session. ‘Why do you pass to that foot and not to his back foot’? It’s that detailed.”

However, reports that Alexander-Arnold may face a pay cut at Real Madrid may also make the player think twice about a potential move.

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Meanwhile, Liverpool are in danger of losing two more players next year in the form of Caiomhin Kelleher and Federico Chiesa, if the latest reports are to be believed.

Kelleher is reported to have already told friends he plans to quit Anfield next year after making clear his wishes to establish himself as a No.1 and having grown frustrated by a recent claim made by Slot on the goalkeeper position at the club.

The Irishman could be beaten out the Liverpool exit door though by Chiesa amid claims he is already fed up at Anfield having seen just 78 minutes of action so far and with the Italy winger’s agent in talks over deals to transfer him to two sides in January.

Elsewhere, the Reds are reported to have made contact with Eintracht Frankfurt over a deal for Omar Marmoush – though Liverpool have been warned that a deal will not come cheap.

And finally, sources have revealed to us that Liverpool have been left seriously impressed by Daniel Svensson, who has been putting in several fine performances for FC Nordsjaelland and with the Sweden left-back seen as a possible heir to Andy Robertson.

Alexander-Arnold salary down the years at Liverpool