Contributors: NATHAN SALT and JOE BERNSTEIN
Real Madrid are exploring whether they can bring forward the expected transfer of Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer so he can play for them in June’s Fifa Club World Cup.
The champions of Europe take part in the new-look competition starting three weeks after the regular season, where Carlo Ancelotti’s men first take on Al Hilal on June 18 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
But Alexander-Arnold’s deal at Liverpool does not expire until June 30 – so they would have to pay to get him out of his contract early if they want him to play from that game onwards.
There is a small window from June 1 to June 10 for clubs to make additions to their squad or extend the deals of existing players. For example, Manchester City could offer Kevin De Bruyne a short-term extension to his expiring contract so he can play in the competition.
Confidential has been told that Real Madrid are extremely keen for Alexander-Arnold to play in the tournament if he ends up signing for them, but they would require Liverpool to play ball on this and release him early – which is much easier said than done.
If he was to be let go early, Liverpool would save around a month of wages and would be able to demand a small compensation in the form of a transfer fee. Real were ready to pay £20million to sign him in January but the Premier League leaders swiftly rebuffed that approach.
Real Madrid are keen to bring forward Trent Alexander-Arnold’s expected transfer
Real want to pair the Liverpool academy graduate with his England team-mate Jude Bellingham
Real would need to get any move authorised by both La Liga and the Premier League should they want to bring forward Alexander-Arnold’s transfer
It is believed participating clubs may also replace players in their Club World Cup squads during a ‘restricted in-competition period’ from June 27 to July 3, with the final of the competition not until July 13 at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
As these dates fall outside of the transfer windows of La Liga and the Premier League, though, Real would need to get any move authorised by both organisations should they want to bring forward Alexander-Arnold’s transfer.
‘The objective is to encourage clubs and players whose contracts are expiring to find an appropriate solution to facilitate the players’ participation,’ read a FIFA statement last October.
Sources in Spain have told Confidential that Real Madrid and president Florentino Perez are ‘counting on’ Alexander-Arnold to take some part in the Club World Cup this summer but must get approval from La Liga and Liverpool to do so.
Revealed: Gravenberch’s injury just a precaution
There were fears it was going to be a bruising break for some Liverpool stars with Ryan Gravenberch and Alisson both leaving their international camps early with Holland and Brazil respectively.
But Confidential understands neither are in danger of missing the Merseyside Derby against Everton a week today.
Gravenberch has started every Premier League game this season after starting just 12 league games last year – so his body has been through the mill in recent months where he has also been relied on in the Champions League, too.
But it is understood the Dutch midfielder withdrew from the international camp as a precaution and should be OK for next week. He has since gone on holiday to underline the fact that he is OK and has taken a well-deserved rest.
Ryan Gravenberch withdrew from the Dutch international camp as a precaution and should be OK for next week
Alisson suffered a blow to the head during Brazil’s win over Colombia last week
Alisson suffered a blow to the head during Brazil’s win over Colombia last week. As per concussion protocol, he missed their meeting with Argentina overnight. He was sorely missed, too, as the world champions beat Brazil 4-1.
But Alisson is OK and just had to follow the guidelines on head injuries so flew home.
His Liverpool team-mate might be leading the banter when the Reds reunite in the coming days, though, with Alexis Mac Allister on the scoresheet for the Argentines.
Anyone fancy a dabble on Dibling?
Liverpool and a number of other elite clubs had scouts at England Under 19s game with Turkey in Connah’s Quay last weekend.
Confidential believes Tyler Dibling, the talented Southampton starlet, was one of the players on their agenda. Dibling, 19, has been a shining light in an otherwise dismal campaign for Saints and, with their relegation all but confirmed, there is set to be a multi-team scramble to sign him this summer.
Manchester United are also understood to be keeping tabs on Dibling alongside Tottenham, Newcastle and clubs on the continent.
It is believed Saints would demand a hefty fee for Dibling, who has played 30 times this season and scored four goals. Their bargaining strength could fall, though, if and when they are relegated to the Championship.
England’s Under 19s drew that game but plenty of young talent was on show with the stadium swarming with scouts. Chris Rigg, 17, of Sunderland is another that could prompt a multi-team chase for his services.
Liverpool have been watching Southampton star Tyler Dibling closely
Scouting report: Hugo Ekitike
Hugo Ekitike is a name that is likely to remain in Liverpool transfer circles until his summer is worked out this summer – and for good reason.
The young Frenchman is a marksman in the area, which was on full display in France just last week when he dismantled England’s Under 21s to score a hat-trick in a 5-3 win.
Having overlapping wingers is key to maximising Ekitike, with two of his three goals coming from deft finishes from five yards out after cutback crosses from both the left and right by Tottenham Hotspur’s Wilson Odobert.
But fans sceptical of whether he is merely a penalty-box poacher should go and look up his second goal, where he beat England’s offside trap to run in behind before chipping goalkeeper James Beadle.
Ekitike would see plenty of that type of wing play at Anfield and his finishing to this point suggests he can provide far more reliability inside the area than Darwin Nunez.
Liverpool’s scouts are monitoring closely and have been for some time and while the Reds are on course to win the Premier League, Arne Slot knows there are improvements he can make on this side, not least at No 9.
Diogo Jota, who has been deployed through the middle of late, perhaps offers more than Ekitike in terms of his link-up and his passing but physically it is night and day while Ekitike, at 6ft 3in would be a nightmare match-up in aerial duels far more so than Jota.
Don’t be fooled by Ekitike’s wiry frame – it is much closer to Alexander Isak than many are giving him credit for and it hasn’t held the Newcastle United superstar back…
Hugo Ekitike scored twice for France’s Under 21s against England last Friday
Ekitike has 19 goals in 38 appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt this season
Your questions answered
A new feature starts in Confidential this week where I will pick some fans’ questions to answer.
Sadly for Jamie Worth I am not qualified to advise on your parents’ failing marriage, nor will I debate Olly Wyse’s philosophical question over whether life is really worth it. Not here anyway.
But I can answer these…
Tom Little asks: which youngsters have impressed the club most this season on their loan spells, and has that changed any potential transfer plans?
I would suspect several of the loanees will get a chance to impress on the pre-season tour this summer. Ben Doak, Jayden Danns and Stefan Bajcetic are probably the three at the top of that list.
Doak, who is injured at the moment, has probably been the shining light of Liverpool loanees this season and his decisive running – I have watched him a few times for Middlesbrough – looks like something Liverpool miss.
Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Ipswich have shown interest in signing him in the last few months but Liverpool were not in a rush to sell. My guess would be that Arne Slot may want to take another look at him before sanctioning any sale. I rate him, he looks like a special talent.
Danns has had a tricky season with injury so I reckon, whatever happens between now and the end of the season, he needs another loan next year. Bajcetic is starting to excel at Las Palmas in La Liga and, with Liverpool needing midfield cover, I could see him sticking around next year.
Jayden Danns has had a tricky season with injury so I reckon, whatever happens between now and the end of the season, he needs another loan next year
Stefan Bajcetic is starting to excel at Las Palmas in La Liga and, with Liverpool needing midfield cover, I could see him sticking around next year
Lewis Koumas at Stoke and Owen Beck at Blackburn, both Wales internationals, are enjoying good campaigns and Confidential understands the pair both have interest from Championship promotion hopefuls Sheffield United. Let’s see what happens.
DLMA asks: Please could you give us a realistic plan of summer signings? And whether we can actually pull in Dean Huijsen? News on Ibrahima Konate would be nice too.
Bournemouth defender Huijsen looks a class act and will naturally be on Liverpool’s radar, though they will face a lot of competition for the Spain international.
At 6ft 5in and with a passing range that some of the Spanish press this week compared to Gerard Pique, it would be no surprise if Real Madrid and Barcelona were in the conversation for him.
Liverpool and Richard Hughes were aware of Huijsen last summer when he completed a £12.6m switch to Hughes’ old club Bournemouth from Juventus. He is now worth around five times that, with a £50m release clause active from June.
The Premier League leaders will definitely be in the conversation for him, DLMA, but they will not be the only ones.
In terms of a realistic plan for the summer, a lot depends on the future of the Contract Three, as I call them. Giorgi Mamardashvili will sign so I would expect Caoimhin Kelleher to depart if a suitable offer comes in – Bournemouth are one of many clubs keen.
Then the defence needs work. There is a strong chance they sign a left back and Alexander-Arnold’s expected exit will prompt them to need a right back, too. At centre half, they will be opportunistic and potentially strengthen in that area.
Liverpool may need to upgrade their forward line due to the uncertain futures of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz
There has been no breakthrough in talks with Ibrahima Konate over a new deal yet. Real Madrid are keeping tabs from afar on his situation
Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz have uncertain futures, too, which would prompt them to upgrade the forward line – something I think they need to do. And I still think they are slightly light in the holding midfield department so I would not be surprised at activity there, too.
There has been no breakthrough in talks with Ibrahima Konate over a new deal yet. Real Madrid are keeping tabs from afar on his situation but there is no indication he wants to leave at this stage.
Hope that helps!
Roy’s back watching over Liverpool
One of Liverpool’s former managers will be a particularly interested spectator at their next away game, against Fulham on Sunday April 6.
Former Reds boss Roy Hodgson has been invited to Craven Cottage by the hosts whom he also managed, to great success between the end of 2007 and 2010.
Hodgson, who will be accompanied by his long-time assistant Ray Lewington, landed the job at Anfield in the summer of 2010 after leading Fulham to a Europa League final.
Though he lasted only six months on Merseyside, there were mitigating circumstances.
He was appointed at the tail end of the disastrous Tom Hicks-George Gillett era and new owner John W Henry turned to club legend Kenny Dalglish to bring stability following a difficult first half to the season.
Roy Hodgson was appointed at the tail end of the disastrous Tom Hicks-George Gillett era
Sugar Free in line to produce kit launch promos
Confidential readers will recall last week how we reported Zut Media are among those bidding to produce Liverpool’s kit promotion for the new gear with adidas.
It is understood another firm, Sugar Free, is also high up in the process to help with this. Sugar Free, based in Manchester, has worked with clients such as Yorkshire Tea, boxing’s Riyadh Season and JD Sports.
Trent suffers on social media
It’s a good job Trent Alexander-Arnold is injured at the moment, judging by the reaction on social media yesterday after the rumour mill whirred out the story that Real Madrid are confident of signing him.
The vitriol he received on X yesterday was ramped up several notches and it makes one wonder if his absence from the team, due to an ankle injury, is probably a good thing given time may soften the blow for some fans.
Some of the comments posted were too far, but some Liverpool fans saw the funny side immediately and started sharing humorous images.
One was of Alexander-Arnold’s famous assist for Divock Origi in the Champions League semi-final – ‘corner taken quickly… Origi!’ – with Andy Robertson edited into the picture as the man taking the set-piece. Another with Conor Bradley followed.
Another featured the Alexander-Arnold mural outside Anfield instead reading ‘Alexander Isak’, hinting at who they want to sign this summer.
The vitriol Alexander-Arnold received on X yesterday was ramped up several notches
Loan watch: Dundee United want Anfield kid
Scottish team Dundee United are keen on signing Liverpool full back Luca Stephenson on a permanent deal this summer.
The 21-year-old from Sunderland featured on Arne Slot’s pre-season tour of America but went out on loan for the season to Scotland, where he has played 28 times and scored three goals for the Tannadice club.
He has enjoyed his time north of the border, clearly, and his Liverpool deal is set to expire at the end of this season. Dundee United will be one of the clubs vying for his signature if he does not extend.
Full back signs new deal
No, not that one.
Reds left back Clae Ewing has signed his first professional contract. The 18-year-old joined Liverpool from Bury at Under 12 level and can play in midfield, too. He has featured for the Under 21s recently.
Ewing has struggled a little bit with injuries in his mid-teens but now the goal is to establish himself in the 21s. As one full back seemingly heads for the exit door, another kid’s dream comes true of signing a pro deal. Good luck to him.
18-year-old Reds left back Clae Ewing has signed his first professional contract
Liverpool 10th in the league
…for fan arrests in the last five seasons. According to data from SeatPick, Liverpool fans are 10th in the Premier League table for arrests made at matches by police in the last five years.
West Ham were on the naughty step with 317 arrests with the Manchester clubs just behind in second and third. Bournemouth were the best-behaved fans with just 16 arrests and Liverpool were 10th with 146.
Red Riddle
Last week I asked you to name the five Italians that have scored in the League Cup final. I gave you the hint that two have connections to Liverpool.
Federico Chiesa became the fifth Italian to score in a League Cup final
Wataru Endo has played 26 times in all competitions for Liverpool this season but is yet to make a single league start
The answers are Fabrizio Ravanelli, Roberto di Matteo, Fabio Borini, Manolo Gabbiadini and Federico Chiesa.
This week, I got thinking about super-subs. Wataru Endo has played 26 times in all competitions for Liverpool this season but is yet to make a single league start.
He joins three other players in Reds history who have played more than 15 times in one season without making a single league start. Who are they?
(And full credit to the excellent Opta statistician and Liverpool fan Michael Reid for this one!).
