Liverpool willing to make Real Madrid wait for Trent Alexander-Arnold signing as Premier League champions treat departing defender to Dubai leaving do

ESPN earlier reported that Real Madrid will request Liverpool to release Alexander-Arnold before the expiry of his current contract on June 30, as the Spanish champions want the defender to travel with the team to the US next month to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup. The report also claimed that the Reds are expected to demand a €1 million (£850,344/$1.1m) compensation fee to let the player leave before the expiration of his deal.

The Sun now reports that the bosses at the Merseyside club are likely to play hardball in the case of Alexander-Arnold's transfer, as they are clearly not happy with the way the English defender's move to Madrid transpired. They are unhappy that information about Madrid's pursuit of the full-back got leaked in January, which affected the focus of the player, who performed miserably in their 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

The report added that the Three Lions star is currently in Dubai with the rest of the Reds squad, where the Premier League champions are treating him to a leaving do.

Arne Slot's men will be back in action on May 19 as they take on Brighton in their penultimate Premier League match of the 2024-25 campaign.