It’s hard to talk about the January transfer window without mentioning the ongoing situation at Liverpool – who face a battle to keep three key stars.
Despite making a phenomenal start to life under Arne Slot – rising up to first in the league and Champions League tables – there is plenty of unrest at Anfield.
Namely due to the fact the Merseyside club are yet to find a resolution to the contract stand-offs with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
While many hope that Salah and Van Dijk will extend their deals, some fans now expect that full-back Alexander-Arnold will depart – it’s just a question of when.
The England star will be a free agent in summer but Real Madrid are keen on bringing the player in during the January window and saw a tentative approach rebuffed.
Here, Mail Sport takes a look at the entourage that could influence Alexander-Arnold’s decision on whether to move to Madrid or not.
Liverpool have rejected an offer from Real Madrid for star right back Trent Alexander-Arnold
Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is keen to sign a new right back to bolster his injury-hit squad
Brothers – Tyler and Marcell
Anyone who knows Alexander-Arnold will know that his brothers are his best friends.
Both Marcell and Tyler – who is a director at PLG, the agency that represents the Liverpool star – have been a part of his journey through professional football and remain closer than ever to this day.
The Liverpool star has previously spoken about his close bond with the duo, who have regularly been seen with Alexander-Arnold at finals and other big occasions.
Speaking to The Players Tribune earlier this year, he said: ‘My brothers weren’t just my brothers, they were my best friends.
‘As I got a bit older, and I moved up through the Liverpool academy, Tyler and Marcel willingly sacrificed their own dreams for mine.
‘I think maybe we all realized at a young age that being a professional footballer was more realistic for me. And my parents did, too. That’s a hard thing for a young lad to understand.
‘There were weekends when Mum couldn’t take my brothers to their matches because I had to be at the academy at a certain time — and it was always them who made the sacrifice. To this day I’m so incredibly grateful to both of them.
‘Every step I took, we took. Every cap I got, we got. Every experience I had, we had. That’s how it works where I come from.’
Alexander-Arnold pictured with brothers Marcell (left) and Tyler (middle) back in 2019
The trio of brothers have remained tight-knit throughout Alexander-Arnold’s rise in football
Friend – Jude Bellingham
To the frustrations of Liverpool fans in recent years, Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has become one of Alexander-Arnold’s closes friends within the sport.
The pair had been inseparable at the Euros during the summer and strengthened their connection off the pitch with a number of trips during the off-season.
There had been a time when it looked as though their friendship could pay dividends for Liverpool – when Bellingham was linked with a move to Anfield before, instead, joining Madrid.
And now the tables may have turned, with supporters recently accusing Alexander-Arnold of ‘flirting’ with Madrid after naming two of their club legends as his dream dinner guests.
Back in November, Bellingham was spotted waiting to swap shirts with close pal Trent Alexander-Arnold after their Champions League encounter.
The Real Madrid star was unable to prevent his side’s defeat to Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool as Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo struck for the hosts.
The England international was spotted waiting outside the Liverpool dressing room at full-time in the hopes of swapping shirts with close pal Alexander-Arnold.
Though the full-back wasn’t on hand to deliver it himself, his teammate Ryan Gravenberch provided the assist as he went into the dressing room and returned to give Bellingham the shirt.
Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham (right) have developed a close friendship
Many fans had hoped Alexander-Arnold would convince Bellingham to join Liverpool
Friend – Mohamed Salah
It’s no surprise that – with both Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk’s futures hanging in the balance – that Alexander-Arnold is also looking towards the exit door.
The trio have been essential to Liverpool’s success in the past decade, with the England star forming a particularly close connection to winger Salah.
In a recent interview with LFC TV, Alexander-Arnold admitted that the Egyptian was his closest friend at the club.
He said: ‘I’d say Mo if I’m honest, I’d say me and Mo, how long we’ve known each other and how long we’ve played together. Our bond and connection especially on the pitch.
‘We just understand the way we play we never moan at each other. We just respect each other’s style of play. Sometimes I overlap and he ignores me, but I know if I don’t pass to him he’s thinking the same thing.’
Similarly to Alexander-Arnold, Salah’s future in Merseyside remains uncertain. Despite his stellar performances this term, there has been no breakthrough in contract extension talks.
Should the Egyptian decide to call an end to his time at Anfield, it’s more than likely that Alexander-Arnold will follow suit.
Alexander-Arnold has previously claimed that Mohamed Salah is his closest friend at the club
