Trent Alexander-Arnold 'could leave Liverpool in January' due to bleak contract situation

Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of three key Liverpool players whose deals expire next summer. It's been claimed he could leave even earlier than that if a new contract cannot be agreed.

As things stand, Liverpool has a couple of months before Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk can talk to foreign clubs about a free transfer. However, while conversations could start then, moves would not go through until the end of the trio's Anfield deals.

Fans are duly expecting, as a worst-case-scenario, at least one final campaign of Alexander-Arnold. While the vice-captain has generally not been drawn on his future, he has even said as much, declaring that he wants to be a Liverpool player this season.

• Pep Guardiola agrees with Arne Slot verdict on Erik ten Hag after Man Utd exit

• Liverpool transfer news as Brighton midfielder eyed and 19-goal forward targeted

For his part, Alexander-Arnold has surely seen enough to realize that there is a realistic prospect of some silverware under Arne Slot. That will hopefully convince him to commit his long-term future to the club, but it would make a mid-season departure especially hard to understand, given the opportunity to at least end on a high.

On the other hand, it would be more or less unforgivable if FSG allowed Alexander-Arnold to walk away for nothing. By far the best way to avoid that would obviously be to thrash out a contract extension, but Liverpool theoretically also has one final window to try and cash in.

Naturally, Alexander-Arnold's value in January would be heavily affected by his contract situation. Real Madrid, with whom he has been most heavily linked, would be able to negotiate over a free transfer at the same time; unless an especially good deal was on the table, it would surely be happy to wait six months and avoid paying a fee.

But deals are sometimes struck in the final stages of a player's contract. Real Madrid was the club that paid $130m (£100m/€120m) for Eden Hazard when he had just a year left to run on his Chelsea deal, while Liverpool initially tried to sign Fabio Carvalho directly from Fulham in the January before his terms expired.

And according to Football Insider, Liverpool could attempt to "cut its losses" and sell Alexander-Arnold in January, thereby at least securing some kind of fee. As things stand, the contract situation is reportedly bleak, with the full-back not expected to sign a new deal.

Real Madrid is considered a "very strong possibility". Los Blancos could potentially be tempted into a deal to take Alexander-Arnold early, given that Dani Carvajal is a long-term absentee.

Liverpool.com says: In a way, you could see the logic of looking to sell Alexander-Arnold in January, provided there has been no progress on a new contract. The thought of losing him for nothing is truly sickening.

But any fee would be fairly trifling, and Liverpool would surely be better off getting another six months of football from Alexander-Arnold, especially if it remains well in the hunt for top honors by then. The damage has already been done by allowing the contract situation to get this far, and a nominal windfall in January would not make things any more palatable.