Having had a good tilt at Premier League success and managed to one up Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side on a few occasions under former manager Jurgen Klopp, everyone in the wider world of football knew that this was going to be a big summer of change for Liverpool, particularly as they adjusted to a slightly different life under Arne Slot.
Having made the switch from Dutch Eredivisie side Feyenoord during the summer, the 46 year old former professional midfielder has adjusted to life an Anfield nicely and he certainly does not seem to be overawed by the expectations that he has inherited at the club, but whilst the speculated post Klopp exodus of key players did not happen during the last transfer window, there are big concerns surrounding the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
As we come out of the October international break, Liverpool find themselves in top spot in the Premier League table, and six wins from the opening seven have given them 18 points, with a so far league best plus 11 goal difference, and they also have two wins from two in the UEFA Champions League competition and for those who use sports betting, few would have seen Slot having that kind of immediate impact.
However, there has been no progress yet on a new contract being signed by 26 year old, boyhood Liverpool fan, Alexander-Arnold, and the 33 capped England international is currently set to leave the club at the end of the season as his existing contract expires next summer.
Whilst there is plenty of rumour mill speculation about what the future might hold, the more consistent angle right now across the varying media is that the Anfield board have begun to accept that the versatile right back will not now be putting pen to paper on a contract extension, as they do not feel that there has been enough progress in the negotiations for that to be a likely outcome.
If they are resigned to seeing him leave as a free agent, whilst the club may be entitled to some training compensation depending on his future destination, it does open up a big question for the January transfer window and would they simply try to cash in on him as best as they can with only six months remaining on his deal. He could of course sign a pre contract with a European club in the New Year, and that complicates any hopes Liverpool may have of securing some kind of fee.
Spanish La Liga giants Real Madrid have long been speculated to have an interest in him, and should those reports hold truth, they will naturally be aware of the current state of play and how their options to capture him improve after the festive period.
The question then becomes would Alexander-Arnold insist on a January transfer fee to move out of recognition for what his boyhood club have helped do for him, and that opens up a compromise for a quicker move or would Real Madrid simply go the pre contract route and wait until the summer to welcome him to the Santiago Bernabeu?
He could naturally surprise everyone at this stage, and just commit to new terms, but fans will be naturally worried as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are also out of contract at the end of the campaign, and although the exodus did not happen last summer, it is beginning to look like it could this coming summer and with over 950 club appearances between them, that is a massive hole for Slot to fill if they do move on.