Seven players hoping to catch the eye in Liverpool v Real Madrid amid transfer subplots

Liverpool vs Real Madrid is the standout fixture in the Champions League this week and there will be plenty of subplots at play beyond the action on the pitch.

When two of the biggest clubs in the world face off, there will be plenty of world-class players on display, aiming to influence the storyline of the game. But there are also stories to be told of potential transfer targets and those looking to justify their recent moves.

Here, we’ve picked out the players who will want to catch the eye on Tuesday, either in view of a transfer next year or to have the final say after one this year.

Ibrahima Konate

While in the final year of his contract with Liverpool, Konate has been linked with a move to Real Madrid in 2026.

The free-agent pool has become a preferred area of focus for Real Madrid with their transfer targets in recent years, and the fact that Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba are approaching the end of their deals in the Spanish capital makes the centre-back department the place to be looking.

After the collapsed deal to sign Marc Guehi on deadline day, Konate has started all of Liverpool’s games in the Premier League and Champions League so far this season.

It’s likely he’ll be a starter against Real Madrid then, providing him with an opportunity to show what he can do against some top-class attackers.

On one hand, Konate is aiming to convince Liverpool he’s worthy of a new contract. On the other hand, he’ll be out to impress Real Madrid in case they want to offer him a deal themselves.

Alexis Mac Allister

Mac Allister has also attracted interest from Real Madrid, although in his case a transfer fee would be required to get him out of Liverpool.

There have been some question marks over Mac Allister’s form over the first few months of the season, in contrast to the positive impression he made after joining from Brighton in 2023.

Still under contract with Liverpool until 2028, Mac Allister is in a battle to restore his impact for Arne Slot’s side, which he began to do on Saturday night against Aston Villa with the assist for Ryan Gravenberch’s goal.

But the World Cup winner will be keen to show his true level against a side like Real Madrid, especially if they think he could be part of their own midfield.

Sources believe Real Madrid will be monitoring Mac Allister’s situation at Liverpool this season, potentially being encouraged to move if his gametime dwindles.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Alexander-Arnold’s escape from Liverpool to join Real Madrid was one of the most talked-about sagas of the summer 2025 transfer window.

The right-back ran down his contract with his boyhood club, but Liverpool ultimately earned a fee from his exit, since Real Madrid paid to sign him before the Club World Cup.

It was a controversial move, with some critics highlighting how Alexander-Arnold would have been worth multiples more for Liverpool if his contract wasn’t about to expire.

He has recently been on the sidelines with an injury but has been back on the bench for the past couple of games, meaning he could make his return back on familiar turf at Anfield.

What kind of reception will he get? Will he show Liverpool what they’re missing? Or will things not quite take off for him, as has mainly been the case so far?

READ MORE: Ranking the Klopp signings at Liverpool most likely to leave next as Slot faces Salah conundrum

Rodrygo

Rodrygo was linked with a move to the Premier League over the summer in a bid not to fade from prominence at Real Madrid, but ended up staying put.

Tuesday’s game will be his first match on English soil since a trip to face Arsenal in April, in which he was on the losing side and didn’t contribute to a goal.

And last time Real Madrid visited Liverpool, earlier in that campaign, Rodrygo missed the game through injury.

Liverpool themselves were faintly linked with Rodrygo in the summer, but Manchester City became his most concrete Premier League suitors.

Whatever his next stage might be, this is his chance to show he’s worthy of the big platforms.

Giorgi Mamardashvili

Liverpool welcomed Mamardashvili into their squad this summer, a year after agreeing to buy him from Valencia.

The goalkeeper is getting some game time at the moment in the absence of Alisson Becker, whose reputation it will take him a long time to match.

Mamardashvili previously flourished in Spain and will be aiming to keep Real Madrid at bay again, having only conceded once against them the last time he played against them for Valencia.

Vinicius Junior

Similarly to Rodrygo, Vinicius has a chance to showcase himself in front of any potential Premier League admirers.

A transfer would have seemed far-fetched until recently, but he now doesn’t seem to be seeing eye to eye with his head coach, Xabi Alonso.

Suddenly, a market might be opening up for Vinicius, but where will he take himself? Could it be the riches of the Saudi Pro League, or would he rather keep testing himself at the top level, potentially in the Premier League?

He isn’t frozen out by Alonso by any means and should still be looking to influence the game, perhaps to the extent he did when scoring the winner against Liverpool in the 2022 Champions League final.

Florian Wirtz

Things have been tough at Liverpool for Wirtz since his big summer move from Bayer Leverkusen, where he previously excelled under the guidance of Alonso.

The attacking midfielder will want to send out a signal that he made the right choice joining Liverpool rather than staying in Germany with Bayern Munich or following Alonso to Spain with Real Madrid.

There have even been fanciful suggestions of him reuniting with Alonso, but those seem to be from beyond the realm of reality.

Still, it could be a good occasion for him to step up, having done so in Liverpool’s most recent Champions League fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt but fallen back into his malaise since.