Trent Alexander-Arnold's name has been doing the rounds of the Real Madrid rumour mill in recent months.
The English full-back has been a constant fixture in Liverpool's team for many years now and has made over 300 appearances for the club already, although he is just 25. Having achieved everything that there is to at Anfield, could he look for a different challenge?
If Trent wanted to leave Liverpool and also have control over his next destination, the summer of 2025 would be the best opportunity to do so. That is because he is in the final year of his current deal with the Reds.
There have been conflicting reports about his contract situation in the media so far. Some sources have suggested that the two parties are confident over reaching an agreement while others believe that he is leaning towards the exit door.
Now, there is some fresh news about the situation. As reported by Defensa Central (via The Hard Tackle), Trent might be willing to take a slight pay cut to join Real Madrid when his current Liverpool deal expires next summer.
It is not hard to see why Real Madrid might be interested in signing Trent. He ticks a lot of boxes that they look for when signing a player.
Firstly, he is a high-profile name who could be available as a free agent. Real Madrid have signed the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba in the same way in recent years. Secondly, he is approaching his prime but already has plenty of top-level experience under his belt.
Perhaps most importantly though, Real Madrid need to find a replacement for Dani Carvajal. While the Spaniard is still performing at a high level, one cannot deny that he is in the twilight of his illustrious career.