Real Madrid is reportedly set to give Liverpool some time to think about how best to proceed with the Trent Alexander-Arnold situation after being rejected with an approach to sign the right-back in January earlier this week.

Spanish outlet Marca says that Madrid will now sit back and let Liverpool reflect on the best solution to the situation. The Reds face losing Alexander-Arnold for nothing next summer, whereas a January sale would see them receive a transfer fee of around $25million.

Alexander-Arnold has been free to sign a pre-contract agreement with Madrid since New Year's Day and the La Liga club is said to be extremely confident of wrapping up a deal to sign the England international.

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While a summer transfer to Madrid seems like a likely outcome, Madrid is interested in bringing the deal forward to this month in an attempt to combat its defensive injury problems.

Madrid's first-choice right-back, Dani Carvajal, sustained a potentially season-ending knee injury in October, and Lucas Vazquez has been deputizing for him in recent months.

It is claimed by Marca that Madrid won't make any "crazy decisions" this month regarding its right-back issues, with Federico Valverde and Raul Asencio mentioned as possible stand-ins if the club is unable to tempt Liverpool to sell Alexander-Arnold during the winter window.

Meanwhile, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot rejected the idea that interest from Madrid could destabilize Alexander-Arnold's focus as the Reds go for glory on all four fronts during the second half of the season.

Slot said: “If it would destabilize players at Liverpool if other people talk about them then we would really have a problem because if you play at one of the biggest clubs in the world everybody is always – for 12 months long – talking about you, sometimes in relation to other clubs.

“That happens so, so many times for our players so if that destabilizes them then we really would have had a problem not only now but in the last six months because there were some talks about our players in the last six months and I don’t think it destabilized them at all.”