Trent Alexander-Arnold 'asked Real Madrid to bid' as Carragher calls Liverpool star

Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold has been called out by Jamie Carragher after claiming he encouraged Real Madrid to submit a bid for him in January.

The Reds have reportedly refused an attempt by Real Madrid to secure the services of the right-back during the January transfer window.

Alexander-Arnold will be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with any foreign club from tomorrow (January 1), with his contract expiring in June 2025.

But Madrid's bold attempts to sign the England international six months earlier ended in failure, with the Merseyside side quickly rejecting their attempts to negotiate a cut-price deal.

And Reds icon Carragher criticized Alexander-Arnold and his representatives for the poor timing of the bid, which he said was encouraged by the 26-year-old's camp.

Writing in an article on

“I like Trent as a boy and a player, but his team would have told Real Madrid to bid and also knew LFC would refuse. This is to cover themselves when he leaves for free. Again, it's something the club/fans don’t need with a huge game coming up.”

It is looking increasingly likely that Alexander-Arnold will leave Anfield after nine seasons with the club, having made over 325 appearances in a red shirt.

The defender has refused the club's offers to renew his contract, with reports suggesting he was considering a move to Spain rejected within the club and he has given no such indication to his current club.

The Guardian reports that Liverpool “leaders” remain in contact with Alexander-Arnold and that negotiations are “ongoing”.

Alexander-Arnold may not be the only high-profile figure to leave Arne Slot's side next summer, with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk also out of contract in six months and having no renewed their respective contracts again.

Carragher, 46, also criticized Salah's decision to publicly address his future, calling the Egyptian's demands for a new contract “selfish”.

Salah suggested he was “probably more out than in” after their 3-2 win over Southampton, fueling speculation that the current campaign would be the last of his eight years at the club – a move which left Carragher furious .

“I have to say that I am very disappointed with the interview with Mo Salah yesterday, last night, after the match, and it comes out today,” he said, referring to the matches against Manchester City and Real Madrid the same week.

He added: “The most important thing is that Liverpool win the Premier League. That's more important than any of these players. And if he continues to make comments, or his agent continues to post comments cryptic tweets, it's selfish. It's thinking about himself and not the football club.

It seems likely that Alexander-Arnold will continue to be available for selection for their clash with Manchester United on January 5 while his transfer saga continues. He scored a superb 25-yard piledriver in the 5-0 defeat to West Ham just two days ago and remains a key part of Arne Slot's plans.