One reason why Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has not signed an extension is that the club may not have given him terms comparable to Mohamed Salah, opening the door for Real Madrid, according to Reds expert David Lynch.
Reports emerged in the past few days that Los Blancos had advances for the Scouser rejected by the Merseysiders, but the La Liga champions seem keen on completing a deal for the right-back as soon as possible.
Alexander-Arnold is into the final six months of his contract with the Reds and is now free to talk to clubs abroad about signing in the summer, but the impasse in negotiations with Liverpool has left fans perplexed given Trent is a boyhood supporter of the club.
However, Lynch suggested that while money is not the deciding factor, the defender wants any new deal to reflect his importance to the team, telling Sports Mole: "It is a little bit about money - the sticking point won't be contract length, it'll be 'are you going to recognise me as the key man in this side and give me a pay packet that reflects that, closer to Mo Salah, that real high end in terms of weekly wage'.
"That is what he's aiming for, [and] the sticking point with Liverpool is that there will be a distance on what that valuation looks like, and that's why [Trent is] using Real Madrid for that.
"Very few players get the opportunity to play for Real Madrid and an English player going over there would be an unbelievable experience, but I think the key trade off is how much can Liverpool show that they want him as a counter to that? If [they show how much they value Trent], I think it will get done, but that is a big if at the moment, and clearly the numbers aren't quite there because he would have just signed by now."
Salah is reported to be the highest earner at Liverpool followed by Virgil van Dijk, with the pair rewarded by Liverpool for giving their best years to the club.
Have Real Madrid forced Alexander-Arnold to make a decision?
Liverpool are first in the Premier League and Champions League tables, and look like clear favourites to at least win the English top flight, so selling Alexander-Arnold in January would no doubt be detrimental to their chances.
Allowing Trent's contract drama to continue into the latter stages of the season could also prove harmful for the club's morale - both on and off the pitch - but the lack of resolution has at least strengthened Trent's negotiating position given he has a legitimate alternative to Liverpool.
Having said that, Lynch expressed his belief to Sports Mole Real Madrid's January bid may force the 26-year-old to make a decision on his future sooner rather than later, saying: "For Trent, it [has been] worthwhile leverage to keep [Real Madrid] there, but the problem he's got now is he can't keep that leverage there for much longer.
"Real Madrid are trying to force the issue, and they clearly want a decision from the player, whether that's to say to Liverpool, 'I'm going to go now', or 'I want to go now, even though Liverpool would completely reject that', or whether it's to say 'in the summer, I'm going to go to Real Madrid'.
"It just creates an urgency - which is part of Real Madrid's tactic - and I don't think he can keep that hanging there for much longer. He has to make a call about what he's going to get from Liverpool, what that looks like, and whether that is enough to keep him there, or if he wants to go down the route of Real Madrid."
Salah and Van Dijk have both publicly stated that they would much rather stay at Liverpool than seek a move elsewhere, and despite Trent saying that he would prefer for negotiations to not be played out in the media, the situation has become somewhat untenable considering the speculation coming from Spain.
© Imago
Is Alexander-Arnold the least important of the trio out of contract in the summer?
Trent scored against West Ham United last Sunday in Liverpool's 5-0 thrashing of the Hammers, but Salah also netted in that match while providing two assists.
In fact, the Egyptian has already netted 17 goals in the Premier League and produced 13 assists, making a strong case that he should be considered the Reds' priority when it comes to contract negotiations.
Van Dijk has shown in games against the likes of Manchester City that he is still key to marshalling the team's defence, and Lynch told Sports Mole that during contract discussions, Liverpool will undoubtedly consider the value that each of the three players can offer from their respective positions.
Lynch said: "The huge question for Liverpool is how much value are you getting from a right-back, even the best right-back in the world. With Mo Salah, they made him their highest paid player of all time - it was so obvious that there was value in it.
"Look at Trent Alexander-Arnold - he can have moments of brilliance. He scores three kicks, his set-piece delivery is fantastic. He can score goals from right-back, he sets goals up, but his assist numbers are not what they used to be [due] to the way that he's used [by Arne Slot]. He's influential in terms of progressing the ball, but what are the numbers you put on that? They're not the same as someone who scores goals incredibly frequently.
"Liverpool will be calculating this using possession models they have for on-ball value, but I think the key question is how influential can a right-back be on winning football matches? Trent is right up there in terms of the most influential right-backs in world football, but is that enough? He is still limited by his position on the pitch."
Trent has said the past that he prefers playing closer to central midfield, but Slot has used him more traditionally at right-back, though the defender has registered just four assists in the Premier League this term despite the club almost being at the half-way stage of the campaign.
The right-back has some work to do if he is to beat his personal best of 13 assists in a single season in the top flight, a record he achieved in 2019-20.
Lewis Nolan
