Liverpool have rejected Real Madrid’s attempt to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold in the January window. The 26-year-old defender will be out of contract in the summer, and is free under regulations to sign a pre-contract deal for next season from New Year’s Day.

Madrid have long been linked as his eventual destination but an attempt to pre-empt that process has fallen flat, with Liverpool rejecting the move.

Madrid’s approach for Alexander-Arnold was rebuffed before any financial package for buying out the remainder of his contract could be offered.

Liverpool’s executives continue to be in negotiation with Alexander-Arnold’s advisers and family, with little indication, public or otherwise, that he would like to leave his boyhood club.

The Alexander-Arnold situation continues to be without a long-term solution, while the club are also still to reach agreements to extend the contracts of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. If Liverpool’s desire is to keep all three, then finances, profitability and sustainability regulations and wage structure may be issues.

Last summer, Liverpool made only one senior addition to the squad Arne Slot inherited from Jürgen Klopp; the Italian Federico Chiesa, who has struggled with injuries. Selling Alexander-Arnold in January would release funds as it represents “pure profit” for a former youth-team player but that avenue has been rejected.

Madrid’s intention is for the England international to be an immediate replacement for veteran right-back Dani Carvajal, 32, who is set to miss the rest of the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury. While Salah and Van Dijk have spoken on the record about ongoing negotiations, Alexander-Arnold is yet to speak in public on the situation.

At the weekend, Slot distanced himself from the negotiations with the trio, the manager saying: “I think I have a lot of control over what they do if they are on the training pitch or in a meeting with me. But if you’re talking about their private life I don’t have control. I have control over what I expect from them on the pitch and I’m really pleased to see what Trent, Mo and Virgil bring on the pitch.”

Alexander-Arnold was a mainstay in the Klopp era, and was a Premier League title winner in 2019-20, having lifted the Champions League the previous year. With Liverpool currently running away at the top of the league, Alexander-Arnold, should he move on, sign off from the club he joined as a six-year-old with a second title.

On the social media platform X, the former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher wrote: “The most important thing for @LFC in 2025 is winning the #PremierLeague No one’s contract or future should come in the way of that! I love Trent as a lad & a player, but his team would’ve told Real Madrid to bid & also would’ve known LFC would turn it down. It’s to try & cover themselves when he leaves for free. Again it’s something the club/fans don’t need with a huge game coming up.”

Michael Owen, the former Anfield striker who left Liverpool for Real, posted on X: “The very fact that Real Madrid have now made their intentions clear towards signing Trent Alexander Arnold leads me to believe that it’s only a matter of time before he signs for them. If he was going to sign a contract extension, Madrid wouldn’t have officially made their move. Secretive talks will have taken place. Huge news.”