Real Madrid ‘GIVE UP on Trent Alexander-Arnold as they admit defeat on signing him in January’ – but want him in for the Club World Cup this summer

Real Madrid have reportedly conceded they will not be able to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold this month.

Liverpool star Alexander-Arnold, 26, has been the subject of intense speculation in recent times, with the defender – alongside Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah – out of contract at the end of the season.

Liverpool remain in negotiations with all three stars, but no breakthrough has been made as the months tick by, and the players are able to speak to overseas clubs about joining on a free transfer in the summer.

Alexander-Arnold’s future has come under considerable scrutiny, with the 26-year-old heavily linked with Real, which has come during a time when the defender’s form has taken a dip.

Carlo Ancelotti‘s side are confident they will be able to sign Alexander-Arnold and have been chasing the defender in January, submitting a £20million bid that was swiftly rejected.

But, according to Spanish outlet Relevo, Real have now given up on bringing in Alexander-Arnold this month after realising the difficulties at getting a deal done.

Real have been heavily linked with the defender and had a £20million bid rejected this month

There is an acknowledgement that the hurdles for a deal being done this month are too much

There is an acknowledgement that it would be ‘practically impossible’ to sort a move  for a variety of reasons.

This is despite pressure increasing on Ancelotti following Real’s 5-2 defeat by Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday, with a clamour for reinforcements among the club’s fanbase.

The report adds Liverpool remain desperate to keep Alexander-Arnold and have not given up hope of convincing him to sign a new deal, while they would not accept even a substantial offer for the defender this month.

Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold will also not force a departure from Anfield given his status as a Liverpool academy graduate and idol of the fanbase.

The benefits of keeping him as Arne Slot’s side remain in all four competitions are also viewed as extremely important by the Reds.

However, the Spanish giants are still desperate to add Alexander-Arnold and the focus has turned to signing him in the summer, with Real hoping to bring in the defender in time for the Club World Cup.

The report adds that Ancelotti’s side remain extremely confident they will be able to finalise a summer move for their No 1 target, and there is a belief Alexander-Arnold can be the heartbeat of the team for the next decade.

A move on a free transfer would similarly follow the club’s strategy in recent windows after David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger and Kylian Mbappe all moved to the Bernabeu at the end of their contracts. 

There has been a clamour for reinforcements at Real after their Super Cup defeat by Barcelona

Alexander-Arnold is not expected to attempt to force through a move away from Liverpool

The defender is still being eyed-up by Real for the summer, but Liverpool will try to keep him

As part of the rules for the Club World Cup, there is a registration window in June that allows clubs to add players to their squad for the tournament, something Real are targeting for the Englishman.

In fact, the report claims that Los Blancos believe Alexander-Arnold could be presented to the Bernabeu before flying to the United States for the showpiece event, which runs from June 15 to July 13.

There is hope from Real’s side that Dani Carvajal, who is currently out with a knee injury, will return by then too, giving Ancelotti both the Spaniard and Alexander-Arnold as high quality options at right back.

Real return to action on Thursday when they entertain Celta Vigo in LaLiga, with Ancelotti’s side currently in second place and one point adrift of rivals Atletico.