Liverpool 'plotting move for Barcelona star to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold' amid Real Madrid interest

Liverpool are thought to be interested in a top defender to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold if he leaves the club at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Alexander-Arnold, 26, is currently in the final year of his contract, which is set to expire in June 2025.

As of January 1 2025, he will be able to discuss a ‘pre-contract’ agreement with a foreign club, with most reports indicating that Real Madrid could be keen on signing the defender.

However, Liverpool boss Arne Slot remains calm about the situation despite admitting it could “bother” him if it is not resolved before the end of the season.

“These players are used to being linked with all the top clubs on a daily basis,” the Reds boss said in his press conference last week.

“If they have contracts or not. If you think they’re disturbed by these interests, then I think you don’t do justice to how strong they are mentally and what they are used to. This is part of our job.

“I was at Feyenoord last year, and they linked me with many clubs and before that and before that. This is part of this world we are living in.

“You just focus on what you have to do. Maybe if you’re 17 or 18 years of age, that could be difficult for you. But Trent has won the league, has won the Champions League.

“Virgil [van Dijk] and Mo [Salah] the same. I don’t think that is a problem for them to perform. That’s also what we see at the moment because they’re playing really well, put it that way.”

With more questions than answers surrounding the potential departure of the right-back, Liverpool are said to be keen on signing a French international if their academy graduate was to leave the club, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.

Jules Kounde is attracting interest from Liverpool

The report suggests Jules Kounde is fancied by Liverpool, despite only joining Barcelona 27 months ago in a deal worth £41.7m from Sevilla.

Like most Barcelona players, Kounde is comfortable in possession, but he is more of an ‘old fashioned’ defender than Alexander-Arnold. Kounde has also played as a centre-back for both club and country.

So far in his career, he has struggled to provide the number of assists he may have liked, with just two in 35 La Liga games last season.

The 2022 World Cup finalist is contracted to the Catalan side until June 2027, meaning the Reds may be forced to pay a hefty fee to sign him.