Liverpool open talks with Real Madrid - with shock sale of Ryan Gravenberch on the table: report
Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 in the Champions League, with the pair meeting today to discuss transfer activity
Liverpool star Ryan Gravenberch is being touted for a shock move to Real Madrid, after impressing this season.
The Reds comfortably humbled Los Blancos 2-0 at Anfield last night in the Champions League, using the fixture almost as a rehearsal for the Premier League clash against Manchester City this weekend. Kylian Mbappe underwhelmed, while Arne Slot's side looked imperious.
But with Liverpool's 100 per cent record in the new Champions League format still intact, attention is turning to a number of players with uncertain futures.
Liverpool are in talks today with Real Madrid
Liverpool have three players whose contracts run out at the end of the season, in Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, with the latter heavily linked with Real Madrid, while Alisson is heavily rumoured to be leaving, too, with Giorgi Mamardashvili arriving next summer.
Spanish outlet Marca have revealed that Liverpool and Real are meeting today to discuss transfer activity face-to-face, in what say is, “unusual between clubs, but given the good relationship between the two, logical”.
Alexander-Arnold's future is a clear topic of conversation for the meeting, but two midfielders are also under discussion, according to Fichajes.
The outlet notes that Liverpool's longstanding interest in Aurelien Tchouameni will be talked about – with the twist that Ryan Gravenberch could be used as a makeweight to sign the Frenchman.
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Gravenberch has been reinvented as a No.6 this season to great effect, as one of the Reds' most impressive performers all campaign. Despite the Dutchman's revelatory form though, the Merseysiders have reportedly already spoken to Real Madrid previously about buying Tchouameni next summer.
The Frenchman, ranked at no.6 in FourFourTwo's list of the best defensive midfielders in the world right now, was said to be put up for sale earlier this season – and didn't play last night, due to an injury issue that forced him out of the trip.
In FourFourTwo's opinion, however, this is an incredibly far-fetched rumour. Gravenberch has been one of Liverpool's star players this season and with the expected churn next summer, Arne Slot would be loathed to lose another reliable performer – however much he wants Tchouameni.
Tchouameni is valued to be worth €100 million by Transfermarkt. Liverpool take on Manchester City this weekend when Premier League action returns/.
The current status on Van Dijk, Salah and Alexander-Arnold, according to Liverpool expert, Matt Ladson
The consensus among supporters is that Van Dijk will stay; most believe the captain will sign a new contract relatively soon, and all signs so far do point to as much.
Salah has been quite public about his contract situation, stunning everyone back in September by saying: “Nobody in the club talked to me yet about contracts, so I’ve said ‘OK, I’ll play my last season and in the end we’ll see’.”
And then you have Trent. For Liverpool to lose their local, homegrown hero, at age 26 in his absolute prime years, on a free transfer, would be one of the biggest failings in the club’s history. A PR nightmare for the owners.
So the fans think Van Dijk will stay, Salah will likely stay, but as for Trent there’s a whole lot of doubt.
Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.