Carlo Ancelotti questioned Real Madrid’s January plans amid reports of Trent Alexander-Arnold bids
Carlo Ancelotti refused to be drawn for Real Madrid in January transfer window activity amid reports of multiple approaches for Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, but did not deny rumors of interest from his side.
The England right-back is heading for free agency this summer, with no sign of a new one Liverpool the contract is pending. Alexander-Arnold is a known target for Madrid, but at first it was thought that the European champions would happily wait until the end of the season for him.
However, with pressure on the squad due to Dani Carvajal’s season-ending injury and the absence of a natural replacement, talk of trying to secure a cut-price January deal has grown louder.
It has been reported that Ancelotti himself is primarily behind the push for Alexander-Arnold to join this month, with Madrid already once nailed and he appears willing to pay up to £20m (€24m) rather than be without him until next season.
But the Madrid coach was cautious in his response to questions about the transfer at a press conference on Thursday, insisting he was too busy to think about such things amid a packed fixture list.
“Talking about it in this context is more complicated, we’ll see,” he said. “We have many games in January and we are focused on this. It is not easy for me to talk about the market now.”
When the subject came up a second time, Ancelotti added: “I don’t want to talk about it because I don’t think it’s the right time to talk about it here. We’ll see what happens, but I’m delighted with the squad we have.”
Madrid is a tempting option for Alexander-Arnold, who has openly said he wants to become one the first defender to win the Ballon d’Or. An added bonus is the presence of close friend Jude Bellingham at the Bernabeu, which would ease his transition to a completely new life.
READ THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS AND GOSSIP FROM AROUND THE WORLD
