Liverpool, Arsenal and City Track Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold

Premier League interest in Trent Alexander-Arnold has emerged as the Real Madrid right-back weighs up his longer-term future, although there is no indication that he is preparing to leave Spain during the current season. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea have all made contact with representatives of the 27-year-old, while several leading European clubs are also assessing defensive and midfield opportunities ahead of the next window.

What changed for the clubs

Alexander-Arnold is understood to want to remain at Real Madrid for the rest of this campaign, making a January move improbable. His position is expected to be reconsidered once the season has finished, with his former club Liverpool among the English sides monitoring developments.

Real Madrid have also revised their stance on Raúl Asencio. The 23-year-old turned down Chelsea and Liverpool interest during the summer after Jose Mourinho had indicated he could leave. He has yet to feature in La Liga this term, but Ibrahima Konaté’s injury and Dean Huijsen’s red card in the 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid have altered his immediate prospects.

Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic is attracting Juventus attention. The 32-year-old will enter the last six months of his Etihad contract in January, and Juventus could seek to secure him without a transfer fee. Kovacic has played only two Premier League minutes this season, both as a substitute.

• Bayern Munich are considering Benfica centre-back Tomás Araújo, 24, with any move dependent on whether Kim Min-jae is sold.
• Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Kim, while Bayern are also tracking Atletico Madrid right-back Marcos Llorente.
• Liverpool and Manchester United have been linked with Tottenham defender Micky Van de Ven.
• Juventus are discussing a new deal with Douglas Luiz and are also interested in Marseille left-back Emerson Palmieri.

Competition context

Araújo has strengthened his case during Benfica’s opening months of the season. His display in the 2-0 Europa League victory against AC Milan at San Siro was viewed as a particularly strong showing, and Bayern have followed him for an extended period.

Roma midfielder Manu Koné has also raised his value after scoring twice in the 2-2 draw against Inter Milan. Chelsea submitted an offer of about €60 million in the summer, but Roma would now seek approximately €100 million if interest is renewed. The club consider that valuation consistent with Koné’s form and with the £100 million deal that took Sandro Tonali from Newcastle to Tottenham Hotspur.

Elsewhere, Napoli have yet to progress contract discussions with Kevin De Bruyne, Frank Anguissa or Stanislav Lobotka, creating uncertainty around all three midfielders. Newcastle United, Brentford and Atletico Madrid are among the clubs watching AS Monaco midfielder Mamadou Coulibaly.

Manchester United have also been told they would need to pay a substantial compensation figure to appoint Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler.

What is scheduled next

The most immediate decision concerns Kovacic, whose contract status becomes more significant in January when he reaches the final half-year of his City agreement. Juventus are preparing to explore the possibility of a free transfer rather than a mid-season purchase.

For Alexander-Arnold, the key review is set for the end of the season rather than the January market. Bayern’s next call on Araújo similarly rests on Kim Min-jae’s future, while Roma’s €100 million position means any new pursuit of Koné would require a markedly higher proposal than Chelsea’s summer approach.