Trent Alexander-Arnold blocks Real Madrid move, holds Liverpool hope

This, giving the Reds hope that all is not lost over their efforts to tie the player down for the long term.

The right-back is eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club of his choosing in just 50 days, with that January 1 deadline ticking along uncomfortably quickly for all associated with Liverpool. Having been at the club since the age of six and having risen to become regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world game, his potential exit on a free transfer would certainly hit Arne Slot's side hard.

Understandably, Liverpool are still doing everything they can to keep Alexander-Arnold at Anfield. However, with Real Madrid making no secret of their desire to bring him to the Bernabeu, together with the presence of his close friend Jude Bellingham in the Spanish capital, there is a growing school of theory that suggests the player is destined to move on.

That certainly appeared to be the case over the weekend when it was revealed that negotiations over a new deal between the player and the club had 'hit a major obstacle' and their chances of retaining the 26-year-old's services were 'reducing with every passing day'.

To add insult to injury, a second report suggested the Reds were ready to 'bite the bullet' on efforts to try and keep him, with a disappointed FSG ready to sanction his sale in the January window to ensure they did not miss out on a fee altogether.

And while Spanish newspaper ABC has confirmed from their end that Alexander-Arnold 'refuses' a new deal at Anfield, the paper claims Real's chances of a January deal look slim with the player blocking a move in the winter window for two reasons.

Firstly, they claim he does not want to abandon the Reds during what is shaping up to be a very successful season. They are currently top of both the Premier League and Champions League, having won an incredible 15 out of 17 games played across all competitions this season.

And secondly, they report Alexander-Arnold does not want to force a 'bad exit' from his hometown club, meaning that if he does leave, it will be done on the most amicable terms possible.

While The Sun's report on the weekend suggested FSG were unwilling to shell out a weekly wage for Alexander-Arnold in excess of the figures earned by the more senior Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk for fear of mutiny in the ranks, that's not to say Liverpool have given up entirely on persuading the player to remain at Anfield.

His business affairs are handled by his father, Michael Arnold, himself a lifelong Liverpool supporter, and sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that the player's priority at this stage remains on negotiating a fresh deal at Anfield.

And while we have also been told that officials from the Spanish giants have been in what has been described to us as 'constant contact' with the player's entourage, the Reds still at this point have confidence that an agreement can be reached over a contract extension.

Alexander-Arnold has also indicated on numerous occasions of his desire to remain at Anfield and his affection for the club, whom he has supported all his life. And his dream to one day captain them to trophies certainly gives FSG strong hope that an agreement can still be reached.

The player, who has also said the ability to challenge for the top prizes, rather than finances, will dictate his move, has also spoken warmly recently about life at Anfield under new boss Slot.

"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."

The Liverpool No.66 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."

Latest Liverpool transfer news: Salah hopes to grow / Reds wowed by Forest starMeanwhile, Liverpool's chances of tying another of their soon-to-be out-of-contract stars in Mo Salah to a new deal have been lifted thanks to a big update from James Pearce.

The journalist has gone on record to say Salah's wife, Magi, is likely to have a big say in deciding their future and that she and the family are more than settled in their rural Cheshire pace, potentially canning talk of them upping sticks at the season's end.

In terms of incomings, Liverpool are reported to be stepping up their quest to sign Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, with the Brazilian having made a big impression on club scouts and having now been identified as their No.1 pick to one day succeed Van Dijk in the centre of defence.

And finally, that group of scouts employed by the Reds are keeping close tabs on the progress of Lille's teenage star Ayyoub Bouaddi, who has caught the eye of the Ligue 1 side this season.

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