Liverpool have expressed their frustration over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave the club for Real Madrid on a free transfer and are reportedly preparing to complicate any early transfer agreement with the Spanish side.
He confirmed that he will depart Anfield on Monday. Alexander-Arnold’s contract expires on June 30.
However, Real Madrid are now keen to bring his arrival forward, targeting a move ahead of the start of the Club World Cup, which kicks off two weeks earlier than usual.
For this to happen, Madrid would need to reach an agreement with Liverpool to release the right-back from his contract early, with a small fee likely to be involved.
However, COPE reports that Liverpool are unwilling to make the process straightforward.
The Reds are said to be “very angry” about losing their star right-back for free and are reluctant to aid Madrid’s preparations for the Club World Cup by agreeing to an early sale.
Despite not competing in the tournament themselves, Liverpool are reportedly insisting on compensation if they are to allow Alexander-Arnold to leave early.
Real Madrid are said to be preparing an offer but will need to meet Liverpool’s demands if they want to push through the transfer before the original deal.
It is believed that Alexander-Arnold is eager to play in the summer’s Club World Cup, though it remains unclear how much Liverpool will demand to make that possible.
Madrid are hoping to negotiate a deal around the €1million (£850,000) mark.
The new-look summer transfer window opens on June 1, giving clubs a 10-day window to strengthen their squads before the Club World Cup.
FIFA regulations state that transfer windows cannot exceed 12 weeks in total, and to maintain the usual closing time, the window will temporarily close from June 10 to June 16.
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