'Shouldn't be happening': Chris Sutton says he's now noticed something really 'unusual' going on at Liverpool

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Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future has been up in the air for some months, with Liverpool seemingly no closer to sorting out a new deal for the defender.

The England international’s contract is due to expire at the end of this season, along with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, with Alexander-Arnold starting the new campaign under Arne Slot in sensational form for club and country.

With Jamie Carragher naming Alexander-Arnold in his all-time Liverpool XI, it’s clear that the 25-year-old right-back means a lot to the Reds, which is why the defender leaving next summer for nothing would be such a blow for the Anfield side.

And Chris Sutton has now shared his verdict on if Alexander-Arnold will leave for Real Madrid after rumoured interest.

Alexander-Arnold tipped to leave for Real Madrid next summer

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the pundit made the prediction that Alexander-Arnold will leave next summer to join Madrid, with Sutton noting that Liverpool would have sorted out the defender’s contract by now if it was clear he was going to stay.

Sutton said: “I think he will go to Real Madrid. There’s a reason why he’s running his contract down, and it’s unusual for a club of Liverpool’s size for him to be in the last nine months of his deal. For Alexander-Arnold, this shouldn’t be happening, but how many clubs are bigger than Real Madrid?”

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Although Alexander-Arnold will not make extreme demands over a new Liverpool contract, the fact that the defender is yet to sign fresh terms on remaining at Anfield beyond this season is something that should worry fans.

And with a club as big as Madrid interested in Alexander-Arnold, there is a real chance that the England international is thinking about swapping Merseyside for the Spanish capital, a move that could cripple Liverpool greatly in the years to come.

Alexander-Arnold’s future has to be sorted by the end of 2024

Alexander-Arnold is one of Liverpool’s biggest and best players under Slot, with the vice-captain a homegrown hero who is a fan favourite at Anfield having come through the club’s ranks to establish himself as a superstar in the game.

And for Liverpool, time is running out to sort out Alexander-Arnold’s contract, with the Reds realistically having until the end of this year to confirm whether or not the 25-year-old right-back is staying with the Premier League side beyond this season.

Indeed, Alexander-Arnold is too important a player to be allowed to leave for nothing, and Liverpool need to step up their efforts to keep the defender at Anfield for the years to come under Slot.