Liverpool Transfer News Today: Ancelotti answers Mbappe question, Alonso latest, contracts for key trio

The January window may be over but the gossip never stops, as we bring you all the latest Liverpool transfer news and rumours.

Today we have (yet more) Kylian Mbappe talk, interest in a pair of Championship brothers and the latest on Xabi Alonso's future. Dig in.

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Liverpool line up move for Gray brothers

Liverpool are interested in signing Leeds United brothers Archie and Harry Gray, according to one report.

17-year-old Archie has been attracting interest from England's elite after some dazzling performances in the Championship.

The versatile midfielder has made 33 appearances in all competitions this season and could be tempted by a move to the Premier League in the summer, with Liverpool long touted as a possible destination.

HITC report that the Reds still have a strong interest in £40m-rated Gray, who is also wanted by Premier League rivals Manchester City and Newcastle United.

Interestingly, it is added that Liverpool are also keen on Archie's 15-year-old younger sibling Harry, who also plays as a striker for Leeds' academy.

Key trio in line for new deals

Meanwhile, Liverpool are 'confident' that club captain Virgil van Dijk, vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold and star forward Mo Salah will all renew their contracts.

The trio all have deals that are set to expire in 2025, but there is no panic among the Liverpool board in regard to them penning new terms.

That's according to Football Insider, who claim that the club are sure they will be able to tie down each one of their superstars to fresh contracts, keeping them on Merseyside for the foreseeable future.

Salah has long been linked with a mega-money move to Saudi Arabia, while Van Dijk had fans briefly worried when admitted in an interview that he 'didn't know' where his future lay in a post-Jurgen Klopp era.

A separate report from the same outlet claims that Alexander-Arnold is expected to be offered the most lucrative terms out of the three as Liverpool look to secure their vice-captain's long-term future.

Carlo Ancelotti plays down Kylian Mbappe talk

Might Carlo Ancelotti have just handed Liverpool a lifeline in the race for Mbappe? Probably not, but let's dream.

Speaking after Real Madrid's 4-0 win over La Liga title rivals Girona at the weekend, Ancelotti was asked about the speculation over Mbappe and appeared to suggest that his side don't actually need the French superstar.

He said: "You keep asking about a player who plays for another team.

"We already have the best players in the world here. In order: Vini Jr first, [Jude] Bellingham second, Rodrygo third. Then [Toni] Kroos, [Federico] Valverde, [Eduardo] Camavinga."

Some reports have claimed that Mbappe has already decided to sign for Real Madrid this summer as his Paris Saint-Germain contract nears expiry, though others say the Liverpool-linked 25-year-old is still weighing up his options.

Elsewhere, BILD reporter Lukas Fischer claims that PSG are already looking at Bayern Munich's Serge Gnabry as a replacement for Mbappe.

Liverpool 'well informed' of Xabi Alonso situation

With Liverpool fans pretty much set on the idea of Bundesliga-topping Xabi Alonso taking over from Klopp this summer, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the club are 'well-informed' on the coach's situation at Bayer Leverkusen.

Romano said on his YouTube channel:"Liverpool know everything about his contract situation at Bayer Leverkusen, how to find a way to appoint Xabi Alonso potentially in the summer.

"So, Liverpool are really well-informed on the situation of Xabi Alonso.

“Then we have to wait for the new Liverpool [sporting] director to decide altogether how, when, and in which way to attack the situation for Xabi Alonso as the manager.

"We have to see if they will decide to go for another one because there is a shortlist. It is not only Xabi Alonso, but for sure he is the main candidate for Liverpool."

The likes of Ruben Amorim (Sporting CP) and Roberto De Zerbi (Brighton) are among the other names in the frame.

Barcelona competition

Liverpool are not the only club interested in Alonso, however.

Bayern Munich — another of the ex-midfielder's former clubs — may too be interested, with current manager Thomas Tuchel under pressure.

Meanwhile, Catalan outlet Sport reports that Barcelona consider Alonso a 'dream' as they seek a new boss following Xavi Hernandez's decision to leave at the end of the season.

The Leverkusen boss is apparently "very popular among part of the board of directors" at Barça, with the club considering "the option of moving a piece before anyone else and acquiring the services of this newcomer."

While the idea of Alonso, a former Real Madrid star, taking over at Camp Nou might seem implausible, Sport cite the fact that Xabi spent part of his childhood in Catalonia as his father, Periko Alonso, played for Barça in the 1980s.