Trent Alexander-Arnold contract announcement is IMMINENT

The Trent Alexander-Arnold saga has long overshadowed Liverpool's season.

He will be leaving the club at the end of the season if the club can't agree on a new contract extension.

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This is because his current deal with the Reds is set to expire in June and negotiations to prolong his stay on Merseyside have so far proved unsuccessful as the right-back weighs up his options.

One move in particular that has been on the cards over the last 18 months has been to Real Madrid, where Trent would team up with his friend and fellow England international Jude Bellingham.

Real Madrid plans are already set in motion

Now that the January 1 deadline has passed, Alexander-Arnold can officially negotiate with clubs about his future and while the January transfer window remains open, the possibility of a mid-season move for a fee remains.

Real Madrid have already made a bid for Trent this month, that was immediately rejected by the club, seemingly in order to continue the contract talks and ensure that the 26-year-old is at least available for the remainder of the season, as Arne Slot's Reds attempt to win the Premier League among other silverware.

But Los Blancos are not about to halt their efforts there, and further details of their plans have subsequently emerged.

According to MARCA, 'Real Madrid are not giving up on the idea of being able to sign him in this market. They will wait for the moment their consider opportune to approach Liverpool again and formalise a new proposal.'

The player has already agreed to move to Real Madrid, whether it be this winter or in the summer, according to their intel and sources have told Graeme Bailey at TBR Football about a similar agreement.

Trent decides: It's Real Madrid

MARCA continue, adding that Madrid have a clear plan in place. Their report reads: "Either Alexander-Arnold or nothing in the winter market. There is no room for speculation and as much as some players are waiting for that call from Real Madrid, the door will only open for the English full-back. Ancelotti knows this first-hand."

Of course, while no deal is yet to be agreed, Liverpool is not yet resigned to the fact that Trent will leave and TBR Football's reports add that the Reds 'have maintained some hope that they could persuade him to stay', although 'finances have not played a part in his decision, it has been about the prospect of playing abroad and a new lifestyle that he wants to experience'.

Real Madrid may decide to make another offer for Trent this January, but as noted earlier, Liverpool are steadfast in their ambition to keep fighting for Trent and losing the homegrown talent in the middle of a campaign would leave the side undermanned in their ambition to win silverware.

But if the latest intel is to be believed, then it seems as though the club is facing an uphill battle to keep Trent on Merseyside and it will just be a waiting game until we know what his final decision is.

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