Carlo Ancelotti breaks silence on Trent Alexander-Arnold transfer after Real Madrid bid

Real Madrid are working to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold during the January transfer window as a replacement for the injured Dani Carvajal, but Liverpool are keen to retain their key right-back.

Carlo Ancelotti kept his thoughts to himself when asked about Real Madrid’s pursuit of Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold. After months of speculation, Real Madrid began their efforts to acquire the right-back by offering £20million on the first day of the January transfer window. Liverpool quickly rejected the offer and are intent on keeping Alexander-Arnold, hoping he may still agree to a new contract.

His current contract expires at the end of June, meaning he can start discussions with Real Madrid this month regarding a move or a potential free transfer in the summer. However, with Real able to offer him a significant wage increase to around £400,000 per week, Alexander-Arnold might be tempted to leave his boyhood club mid-season.

Real Madrid, missing Dani Carvajal due to a serious knee injury, can offer Alexander-Arnold a spot in their starting lineup. The ongoing negotiations between Liverpool, the Spanish club, and the 26-year-old’s representatives continue behind the scenes, but Ancelotti is cautious about discussing it publicly to avoid disrupting any possible deal.

“January signings? It’s a bit more complicated to talk about this. We’ll see, we’ll see. Talking about this is not easy at the moment,” he said in a press conference on Thursday, ahead of Real Madrid’s La Liga match against Valencia on Friday night. When asked again about transfers, Ancelotti added: “I said that we will not sign anyone in January before. Look, I can’t talk about it now. This is not the time and place. We will see what will happen but I have a great squad. We have got injuries and problems with that but we are also able to overcome them.”

Alexander-Arnold, along with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, has a contract expiring this summer. However, Liverpool are confident that both Salah and Van Dijk will agree to two-year contract extensions in the coming weeks.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding their futures, all three players have remained professional and focused on their performances. Liverpool have not been negatively affected by the speculation and are currently leading the Premier League and Champions League after a strong start to the season.