Latest developments
- Manchester City are in talks to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold.
- Real Madrid have long been seen as the frontrunners to buy the Liverpool star.
- Pep Guardiola sees him as the replacement for Kyle Walker.
Whisper+ analysis
Authenticity (2.5/5): An area for City to improve
PSG and Barcelona are said to be interested, but Real Madrid have been the favourites to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool for a while, only now they face competition from within the Premier League.
That is because caughtoffside.com are reporting the stunning news that Man City have held talks with Trent's representatives. The website gives little information about their sources, but given City's need to strengthen at right-back, such discussion would not be so extraordinary.
Value (4.5/5): No sign of a new contract
With his current deal running out at the end of the season and no sign of a new contract, Trent will be able to leave his boyhood club for free in the summer.
City wouldn't have to pay a transfer fee, but they would have to offer staggeringly high wages to fend off their fellow super clubs to tempt TAA.
Suitability (4.5/5): Different shirt, same idea
Trent would be pretty much perfect for City, as he would be simply swapping one Premier League title-challenging back four for another, while his technical ability makes him ideal for the Guardiola style.
We might be splitting hairs here, but given Pep's fondness for putting centre-backs at full-back, being an actual right-back could count against him!
Upgrade? (5/5): Walker slowing down?
Once the fastest man in the Premier League, Kyle Walker has been literally and figuratively slowing down of late, as injuries have begun catching up with him.
Eight years Walker's junior, 26-year-old Trent would be an ideal successor both in terms of position and, having occasionally worn the armband at Anfield, in terms of leadership.
Logic (3/5): He wouldn't go there, would he?
Leaving your boyhood club for a European giant is one thing, but leaving them for your greatest rival in terms of challenging for trophies in recent years is another. Moving to City would be too much for Liverpool fans, and possibly for Trent, too.
From a City perspective, they went after a rival's player when they signed Walker, what will stop them doing the same again?
Whisper+ verdict: 19/25
City need a new right-back, so it makes perfect sense for them to at least hold talks with Trent's agent, but there's not enough meat on this to take the favourites' tag from Real Madrid.
