Liverpool head into Sunday’s fixture with Brighton knowing a win is vital to put pressure on Arsenal and Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
Victory at Anfield would put the Reds three points clear of their title rivals, who face off at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.
There has been positive injury news for Jürgen Klopp ahead of the final ten games of the season, with Andy Robertson expected to be out for a shorter time than first feared after coming off against Northern Ireland.
Midfielders Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch could feature against the Seagulls, whilst vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to return in the next week or so.
Trent was the subject of transfer speculation earlier this week, with Real Madrid rumoured to be circling given that his contract is set to expire in the summer of 2025.
On the latest episode of our Journo Insight show, we asked experienced LFC reporter Neil Jones for his thoughts on Trent’s contract situation.
Who will get a new contract? | The Deep Dive
Neil said:
“Trent’s as Real Madrid a signing and as you could imagine really, if you look at what they’ve been doing over the last few years. The side they’ve been assembling, the players they’ve been buying, why wouldn’t they like Trent?
“If it was to be a case of Trent saying, ‘I’m not signing a new contract,’ then this is the summer that you’re going to have to do something about it.
“I think Trent – the age of him and the value that he would have – I think you’d have to sell him if he didn’t want to sign a contract.
“I think he will sign a contract now you’ve got the people in place – that partnership in particular that you mentioned of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes.
“You would expect the phone to be ringing. I would expect Tyler [Trent’s brother and agent] to be picking up his phone and getting an offer from Liverpool.
“Liverpool have done nothing but amplify Trent and make him more important, and more and more a part of their club, and their future, and a leader, and a symbol. They’ve promoted him to vice-captain with an eye on him obviously taking over from Van Dijk as the captain.
“I think he’ll stay, obviously. I think Liverpool will get the deal done, but of course, it’s no surprise to hear Real Madrid are monitoring a situation like that. I don’t imagine they’ll be the only club.
“I think it will be sorted. By the time the summer comes, I think Trent will have signed a contract to stay at Liverpool.”
If we can’t get Xabi Alonso, who is the best alternative in the market? | The Deep Dive
Redmen Reacts
Apart from the obvious task of appointing a new manager, securing a new, long-term contract for Trent Alexander-Arnold will be high on incoming sporting director Richard Hughes’ list of priorities. At 25, Trent – who was described as a ‘real leader’ by Klopp earlier this season – is approaching the peak years of his career and will be amongst the most valuable players in the current Liverpool squad. It is perfectly understandable that a club like Real Madrid would express an interest in Alexander-Arnold, but the situation does not mirror that which took Steve McManaman to the Spanish capital at the turn of the century. Liverpool have retaken their spot as a European superpower under Jürgen Klopp, and whilst the lure of the 14-times European Cup winners would turn the head of any player, LFC’s vice-captain knows that a massive pay packet and key role under Klopp’s successor are within his grasp. Even if the idea of moving abroad to join Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham is on Trent’s radar, signing a new contract would not necessarily kill that dream and would see Liverpool appropriately financially reimbursed, should the worst happen.
