Former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann has said he is surprised that Trent Alexander-Arnold's future at the club remains unsolved. Alexander-Arnold, 26, is into the final five months of his contract at Anfield and has been free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with clubs overseas from January 1.

Real Madrid are the favourite to sign the England international if he leaves Liverpool at the end of the season, with the Spanish outfit making an approach for Alexander-Arnold on New Year's Eve. In the end, Madrid abandoned their January pursuit of Alexander-Arnold, with Liverpool flying high in the Premier League and Champions League and one game away from a second consecutive League Cup final appearance.

However, Hamman admits he is surprised that Alexander-Arnold's future at Anfield wasn't solved in the early weeks of 2025. Speaking to SlotWise, the 2005 Champions League winner said: “If Trent decides to leave, if he wants to go to Madrid, then that's up to him. That's his decision. His contract is up in the summer, and I'm a bit surprised that nothing has come out about his future in the last few weeks.

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"We are at the end of January and obviously the player is allowed to sign for another club, or would have been allowed to sign for the last four or four and a half weeks, and we haven’t heard anything.

"Maybe he is still contemplating staying at Liverpool. There's been talk that Liverpool have made him a few offers and the longer we don't hear anything, there's still a chance he does stay. But you know, if Real Madrid comes calling, I think it's very hard to turn down. And you know, if you were to leave them, I think you can't fault him.

“He’s in his late twenties now, and it's probably his last chance, because if he signs another four years with Liverpool he'll be in his 30s, it’ll be a lot harder to get that kind of move. Going to a club like Madrid, sometimes you only get the chance once, and obviously that's a decision you've got to make.”

The former Germany international believes that any desire Alexander-Arnold has to move to the Spanish capital will have been influenced by close friend and compatriot Jude Bellingham's success since moving to the Santiago Bernabeu in June 2023.

“Trent would have spoken to Bellingham for sure," added Hamman. "He won the Champions League in his first season and was one of their star players. Trent will be seeing that to be successful with a club like Real Madrid, with the history they've got, it is something else.

"Bellingham might play a role there in helping Trent go to Madrid. But at the end of the day, the player has to make the decision.”