Real Madrid have reportedly decided to target both Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer transfer window.
Liverpool emerged as 2-0 victors against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon at the Etihad, with goals from Mohamed is wrong and Dominic enough to comfortably see past Pep Guardiola‘s side.
The win put Arne Slot‘s team 11 points ahead of second-placed Arsenaland with just 11 Premier League games remaining for the Reds, it would be a remarkable twist if they were to lose the title to the Gunners.
However, with Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold all out of contract at the end of the season, fans are worried that they could be seeing the last of the trio in Liverpool shirts.
TBR Football claim that Van Dijk’s camp have been alerted to strong interest from Real Madrid, with the Spanish giants also keen on securing Alexander-Arnold’s signature.
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Could Van Dijk join Alexander-Arnold in Spain?
Alexander-Arnold has long been courted by Real Madrid and there are rumours that he would like to join England teammate Jude Bellingham in the Spanish capital.
The right-back has previously remarked that he would prefer to win a Ballon d’Or over another Premier League or Champions League title with Liverpool, and given winners of the award in recent history have often played for either Barcelona or Real, some have argued that he would have a better chance of winning it with Los Blancos.
Real’s links to Alexander-Arnold make sense considering right-back Dani Carvajal will be sidelined for months due to a cruciate ligament injury, while a move for Van Dijk would also be sensible as Oeder Militao is not scheduled to return to action until late December.
It should be noted that Real could play Liverpool in the semi-final of the Champions League this season, so perhaps the recent speculation will unsettle the duo ahead of a potential matchup between the sides.
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What would Liverpool lose?
Though there are question marks about Alexander-Arnold’s defensive levels, there is no doubting his unique ability on the ball, with few players in world football possessing his skillset.
The 26-year-old has often acted as a release valve, easing pressure on the Reds’ backline when being pressed aggressively by opponents, and he has frequently turned defence into attack with a single pass.
Van Dijk’s passing range is also immense, and his switches of play have been vital for players like Salah, who has benefitted from the Dutchman releasing him into space on the right flank.
The Liverpool captain is still arguably the best centre-back in the Premier League, and his leadership, aerial dominance and command of the Reds’ high line would be hard to replace.
