Trent Alexander-Arnold replacement option blocked as Premier League rivals reveal contract clause

Feargal Brennan

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Trent Alexander-Arnold replacement option blocked as Premier League rivals reveal contract clause image

The final member of Liverpool's 'contract expiry trio' is approaching a final call on his future at Anfield.

Club captain Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have both signed extensions until 2027 with their previous deals on Merseyside due to run out in June.

The duo have been central to Arne Slot's Premier League title-winning debut season but the club are still waiting on a decision from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The Liverpool-born defender is also out of contract in June as he weighs up his options between an extension at Anfield or a free transfer move Real Madrid ahead of next season.

Both clubs have put forward their final offers to the 26-year-old, with the respective deals both five years in length, with rumoured wages of over £220,000 [$285,000] per week.

Alexander-Arnold has consistently dodged questions over his plans, but an announcement is due by the end of May, with Real Madrid hoping to include him in their FIFA Club World Cup squad in June.

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Slot is still holding out hope of Alexander-Arnold staying - despite appearing to be edging away - but the Dutch coach is also pragmatically looking at other options.

Ola Aina has impressed at right-back, in Nottingham Forest's shock push for a first-ever UEFA Champions League qualification this season but he is not expected to make a move to Anfield.

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The Nigeria international is also out of contract at the end of the season, and the former Chelsea defender had been tipped as a cost-effective target.

However, as per reports from The Athletic's Forest correspondent Paul Taylor, the club have now activated a clause in the 28-year-old's contract to extend his agreement at the City Ground for a further 12 months.

With Forest wary of transfer interest in one of their most-consistent performers, his clause became activate once Forest were mathematically safe from relegation, and the final details have now been sealed.

Liverpool could still maintain a future interest if he opts against a fresh deal beyond 2027 in Nottingham.

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Feargal Brennan

Feargal is a content producer for The Sporting News. He has been working with TSN since the start of 2022 after stints with Reach, Amazon UK and Squawka in a nomadic career in the football media pyramid. Always with a keen eye on Arteta's 'Reds' and Kenny's Ireland 'Greens' and a 100% five-a-side penalty record.