Trent Alexander-Arnold is in negotiations over a new Liverpool contract and his team-mates want him to stay, according to Alexis Mac Allister.
Like Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold is out of contract with Liverpool at the end of June. The situation surrounding their three star players has provided an unwanted story behind the Premier League title challenge and impressive results in the Champions League.
Mirror Football reported on Saturday that Salah is now on the brink of signing a new two-year contract with the Reds. Meanwhile, Van Dijk has always been the most likely of the three to extend his stay, leaving Alexander-Arnold as the odd one out, with Real Madrid interested in signing him on a free transfer next summer.
Mac Allister has revealed the dressing room view on the situation. “Hopefully Trent and Virgil can continue with us along with Salah,” he told AS. “Alexander-Arnold is crucial as we saw against Manchester City when he came back from injury. Like Salah, he is in negotiations and hopefully he can continue in the team.”
Alexander-Arnold came through the Liverpool academy and has made 327 appearances for his hometown club, contributing 19 goals and 85 assists. The 26-year-old appears to have a ready-made successor in the form of Conor Bradley, but Mac Allister knows how important it is that he stays in 2025.
"His quality is enormous," he added. "I have always said that he was criticised for his defensive role, but I have no doubt that both in defence and attack he is a differential player. He is also strong and quick which allows him to find that balance between attack and defence."
It is crunch time for Liverpool on contracts with the January transfer window just around the corner. If no agreements are reached by the end of 2024, then Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold will be free to discuss a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club in the summer.
Salah’s incredible form has forced the Reds hierarchy to the negotiating table, with the compromise of a two-year deal arising. Alexander-Arnold has made it clear that he will stay put, if he believes Liverpool are capable of bringing him the trophies he desires.
“I want to be a Liverpool player this season (as a minimum) is what I will say,” he said in September. "The most important thing is always trophies, if I am honest. I want to win trophies, I am a player who is highly motivated by trophies and winning things and being elite. So that is probably the main factor of anything, if you have a personality that is elite, who wants to win and will do anything to win, then that is what drives me."
Mac Allister, meanwhile, was asked whether he might play in Spain in the future. "Yes, why not?” he replied. “It's a country I like a lot and I've visited it several times, and, above all, because of the language and the culture, it's very similar to Argentina. I would definitely like to play in Spain one day. "Right now. I'm very comfortable at Liverpool and I don't think about what might happen in the future."