Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has been "seduced" by the idea of playing for Real Madrid, a report has claimed.
Alexander-Arnold is out of contract at Liverpool, his boyhood club, at the end of the season and no agreement over a new deal has been forthcoming.
In that sense, the England right-back is in the same boat as veteran teammates Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, but that may be where the similarities end.
All three are now believed to have been offered terms to extend their time at Anfield beyond this season, after Salah publicly revealed there was no proposal as recently as last month. But while Salah and Van Dijk have both made staying at Liverpool their priority, Alexander-Arnold's case is different.
"I think with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, it's been so unequivocal that they want to stay. They've never given any indication otherwise," Melissa Reddy told Sky Sports'Transfer Talk podcast.
"To my knowledge, there's been no negotiations with any external clubs.
"That is the inverse with Trent [Alexander-Arnold], because Real Madrid are heavily invested in getting him. He is seduced by that idea and you can't really blame him for being so. He's achieved quite a lot with Liverpool. In the interviews he's given recently, some of the statements he's been putting out, it's very much like I'm listening to Real's sales pitch given back to me."
At the age of 26, Alexander-Arnold is significantly younger than Salah and Van Dijk, with much more of a career still left ahead of him. The timing for Madrid would be right, both given that Dani Carvajal is getting into the final stages of his career and that Alexander-Arnold is coming into free agency.
Madrid are not thought to be interested in paying a transfer fee, ruling out an approach during the January window, with a free transfer the only way they will pursue him.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has already expressed concern that Alexander-Arnold's dream to become the first right-back to win the Ballon d'Or is the player openly flirting with Madrid.
Of course, if Alexander-Arnold does wind up in Spain, he will have to give up his beloved No.66 shirt, with registered first-team players in La Liga only permitted to wear numbers 1-25.
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