Real Madrid are not the only European giant chasing the signature of Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold, talkSPORT understands.
It is understood Madrid’s arch-rivals Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also keen on the England right-back.
Alexander-Arnold is a defender in demand ahead of next summerGetty
Alexander-Arnold is out of contract at the end of the season and is yet to agree a new deal at Liverpool with talks ongoing.
He will be free to speak to foreign clubs in January over a free transfer next summer and is clearly not short of interest.
The 26-year-old has started in all seven of their Premier League matches this season under new boss Arne Slot, assisting one goal.
Alexander-Arnold made his Liverpool debut in October 2016 under Jurgen Klopp and has since featured a total of 319 times in all competitions.
The defender has helped his boyhood club to win the Premier League and the Champions League, as well as the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
With his contract at Anfield expiring in June, there was heavy speculation over a move to Madrid during the latest summer transfer window.
He fuelled the rumours when he was spotted signing a fan’s Los Blancos shirt whilst on holiday.
talkSPORT reported at the time that Liverpool are confident he will sign a new contract at the club in a bid to deter outside interest.
However, whilst this may no longer be the case, Alexander-Arnold has recently hinted that he doesn’t want silverware to define his career.
When asked by ITV Sport if he fears not maximising his talent, he said: “Yeah, for sure. This was a conversation I had last [England] camp when we were travelling to Ireland.
Alexander-Arnold’s glittering Liverpool career could end this seasonGetty Images – Getty
“I was on the coach down to the airport with [Eberechi] Eze and we had this conversation, and I said, ‘There’s a chance that, you know, I may never win another trophy in my career again.’
“There’s a chance of that. There’s a chance I’ll win many, many more, and I think you’ll only know the morning after you retire.
“You’ll look at yourself in the mirror and you’ll have a feeling of either regret or satisfaction with what you’ve achieved.
“But I don’t think you can value that on trophies and medals, goals, assists, anything like that. It’s more [that] I give it absolutely everything from start to finish, I put everything into it.
“And as long as I can say that every single day, I put everything into it, I tried to get better every single day, I tried to improve myself, I tried to be the best player I could be for the team.
“I tried to help the team win as many games as possible and I believe that I maximised the potential that everybody told me from a very young age that I had, then I’ll be more than satisfied.”
Liverpool legends Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will also see their contracts at the club expire next summer should they not renew, marking the end of an incredible era on Merseyside.