TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD is set for a £100million pay day if he joins Real Madrid.
The European champions were willing to pay £20m to sign the Liverpool right-back, 26, in the current transfer window.
But Real’s decision to make their interest official is viewed as a strategic move to ultimately land him on a free in the summer.
And Alexander-Arnold is set to receive a mind-boggling sum if he puts pen to paper for Real.
Real are prepared to give the England right back a hefty increase on his £180,000-a-week Anfield wages.
But the real money-spinner will be the signing-on fee.
When Kylian Mbappe moved to Real from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, he agreed a £128m golden hello - payable over his five-year contract.
That was on top of annual wages of £12.8m - which equates to almost £250,000 per week.
Although Alexander-Arnold will not be able to match Mbappe’s total package of £192m, he will become one of the best-paid players in the world.
Reports in Spain claim the product of the Reds’ academy has told Anfield chiefs he wants to join Real and embrace a new challenge after 20 years at the club.
But Merseyside sources say the club deny this and are still trying to tie down Alexander-Arnold - and fellow out-of-contract stars Salah and Virgil van Dijk - to a new deal.
Real Madrid are also allegedly interested in signing William Saliba from Arsenal.
However, last month the Frenchman gave Mikel Arteta a boost by pledging his long-term future to the Gunners.
He insisted: "I feel at home here.
"I signed for the club five years ago but it’s only my third season and I’m enjoying everything — the players, staff and fans."
Asked if could envisage staying at the Emirates for a long time, he replied: "Yeah, of course."
