Liverpool prefer Trent Alexander-Arnold to LEAVE than break FSG rule

Liverpool aren't willing to save Trent Alexander-Arnold's Anfield career at any cost. There's a rule they won't break - and it could land him at Real Madrid.

Liverpool rejected a bid from Real Madrid for Trent Alexander-Arnold this week. They're not willing to let him leave in the January transfer window - and rightly so.

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But that's far from the end of the story here. Alexander-Arnold's contract is still expiring at the end of the season and he doesn't seem to be particularly close to signing a new one.

Madrid's bid certainly suggests they believe he'd move there. In fact, it's difficult to believe they'd have made that bid without some sort of assurance that Alexander-Arnold would tell them 'yes'.

Liverpool, then, are fighting on the back foot. Madrid and any other non-English team are completely free to negotiate with the Scouser over a pre-contract to join the summer.

The Reds also know there's a decent chance that he's already told Madrid he'd be happy to go there. And yet, it appears Liverpool would prefer for that to happen than to break one of their golden rules.

Liverpool won't break the back for Alexander-Arnold

Per Marca, Liverpool are not expected to 'go crazy' with offers. It's against their policy to overpay players, typically bringing new signings in on reduced wages with incentives for good performance.

And even with Alexander-Arnold, the club will play it cautious, as is the FSG way. They won't offer from anything like Mo Salah's £350k-a-week wages, for instance.

Any offer put to Alexander-Arnold must be in line with the current wage structure. Something the player knows full well, too.

Now, some clubs do not operate that way. We've Manchester United offer enormous wages to Marcus Rashford, for instance, and they're currently trying to get him off the books.

Similarly, Arsenal had some disastrous outcomes when putting players on £300k each week. Liverpool won't risk making the same mistake.

And if that means losing Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, that's the price of playing it safe. They're not going to break the rules for anyone.

Except maybe Mo Salah.

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