Real Madrid want ‘unusual’ Liverpool star in ‘lower than market value’ deal as Bellingham link up is mooted

Real Madrid are keen on signing Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer transfer window, according to reports.

The Reds are set for a summer of change with Jurgen Klopp announcing earlier this year that he will be leaving Anfield at the end of the campaign to take a break from football.

Widespread reports indicate Feyenoord boss Arne Slot will be the man to replace Klopp on Merseyside, while the future of a number of players is up in the air.

Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah will all enter the final year of their contracts at the end of the season and there are rumours one or two could leave as soon as this summer.

There are also changes to the hierarchy at Anfield with Michael Edwards returning to Liverpool as FSG’s CEO of football, while Bournemouth’s Richard Hughes has been appointed as the new sporting director.

And Spanish newspaper Nacional now claim that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is studying the ‘market opportunity’ of bringing Alexander-Arnold to the Bernabeu for a reduced price.

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Perez will have ‘the last word’ on any move for the Liverpool defender as they look for ‘a generational replacement’ for Dani Caravajal with Alexander-Arnold ‘identified’ as his potential successor.

Valued at €70m. it is understood that the England international ‘could leave Anfield Road this summer in exchange for a figure slightly lower than his market value’.

Real Madrid ‘aspire to obtain his transfer for €60m’ with Los Blancos hoping the ‘unusual full-back’ could be tempted to ‘share a locker room with his compatriot, Jude Bellingham’.

The latest report comes after a story emerged last month insisting that Real Madrid are prepared ‘to repeat’ the ‘operation’ to bring Kylian Mbappe – who is set to join the La Liga side in the summer – to the Bernabeu by signing Alexander-Arnold in the summer of 2025.

Van Dijk has been linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund in recent days but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano insists those reports are ‘not true’.

Romano wrote in his Caught Offside column: “There have been reports in Germany in the last few days about Virgil van Dijk possibly going to Borussia Dortmund, but from what I’m hearing from sources this is not true.

“My understanding is that Dortmund are focusing on different names – they will try to keep Jadon Sancho and Ian Maatsen, but Van Dijk links are not something real or concrete at this point. Contacts are not taking place, it’s not happening.

“Incoming Liverpool manager Arne Slot will have a direct conversation with Van Dijk, and he will try to keep the experienced Dutch defender at the club as a part of his project. Slot would love to keep Van Dijk at the club, so the conversation between them is going to be important.

“Teun Koopmeiners has been linked with Liverpool as a player that Slot likes, but Slot has not discussed any names with Liverpool so far when it comes to transfer targets. It’s obvious now to link Dutch players with Liverpool, but the reality is that nothing is advanced or concrete now, it’s still too early. It’s also worth saying that Juventus consider Koopmeiners as one of their main targets for the summer window.”

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