Liverpool 'identify' Trent Alexander-Arnold replacement as part of triple raid on rivals

Liverpool are reportedly lining up a potential replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold as speculation mounts over his Anfield future. The 25-year-old, who is out of contract in the summer, has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Alexander-Arnold came through the academy ranks, making his senior debut in the 2016/17 campaign.

He’s since made 316 club appearances, but after Saturday’s 3-0 win over Bournemouth, was cryptic when pressed about ongoing contract talks.

Insisting he is motivated by “winning trophies”, the England international said: “Look, I have been at the club 20 years now. I have signed four or five contract extensions and none of those have been played out in public. This one won’t be either.”

According to Caught Offside, the Reds are tracking Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong in case they lose Alexander-Arnold. The 23-year-old played a pivotal role as his club landed a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double last season, also making the Europa League final.

The Dutch international, who moved to Germany from Celtic in 2021, has a release clause of just £34million. And Frimpong is not the only Leverkusen player being scouted by Liverpool.

Forward Florian Wirtz and midfielder Exequiel Palacios are also being watched, with an intriguing twist in Liverpool’s interest given they play Leverkusen on November 5. The two sides go head-to-heard in the revamped Champions League format at Anfield, a game which will also mark the return of Xabi Alonso.

The Spaniard was targeted by both his former club and Bayern Munich after overseeing an unbeaten domestic campaign in 2023/24. However, he opted to stay at Leverkusen, with his current contract running until 2026.

Instead it was Arne Slot who arrived to take over from Jurgen Klopp, and the Dutchman has guided his new team to 12 points from their opening five Premier League games and a win at AC Milan in Europe. That’s despite an underwhelming summer transfer window which left fans frustrated by the lack of signings.

After a lengthy pursuit, Martin Zubamendi rejected a switch after opting to stay at Real Sociedad. Federico Chiesa and keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili were signed from Juventus and Valencia, with the latter immediately returning to Spain on loan for 12 months.

Furthermore, the club have been criticised for not tying down key players. As well as Alexander-Arnold, the deals of Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk also expire at the end of the 2024/25 season.