Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net

Image Credits: Getty Images

Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has sensationally suggested that Real Madrid approached Trent Alexander-Arnold way before his contract situation became a point of contention at Anfield.

The Liverpool vice-captain confirmed his departure after 20 years at Anfield, but the circumstances surrounding his move to Spain have drawn attention from Wenger.

Alexander-Arnold’s contract expires on June 30, 2025, permitting him to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from January 1, 2025, under FIFA’s Bosman ruling.

However, multiple reports suggest Real Madrid’s interest predates this window.

Under Premier League rules, clubs must obtain written consent from a player’s current team before initiating talks.

Violations constitute “tapping up,” punishable by fines or transfer bans.

However,  enforcement remains rare due to the difficulty of proving covert negotiations.

For Alexander-Arnold, close ties with Jude Bellingham – a key Madrid influencer – may have played a role.

Such informal channels complicate proving rule breaches.

Chelsea were fined £300,000 in 2005 for meeting Ashley Cole without Arsenal’s consent, but such penalties are now rare.

But for Arsene Wenger, he has no doubt that Alexander-Arnold was speaking to Real Madrid up to two years before his Liverpool deal expired.

Speaking on beIN Sports covering the Champions League on Tuesday night, the Arsenal legend claimed that Real Madrid approached Trent Alexander-Arnold a “long, long time ago”:

“I believe the Trent transfer shows a new trend in the game – there are no transfers anymore for the big, big players,” began Wenger, who now enjoys a role as FIFA Chief of Global Football Development.

“They all go at the end of their contract?

They say two years before the end of the contract: ‘We want to buy you, we give you these wages, and we will try to make an offer to your club'”.

“If it doesn’t work, they come back next year, and if not, they take you for free?

That’s what they did with Mbappe as well.”

When probed on when Real Madrid unofficially approached Alexander-Arnold, Wenger smiled and said:

“Real Madrid approached Alexander-Arnold a long, long time ago.”

For Alexander-Arnold, Madrid’s alleged early groundwork – while ethically dubious – likely falls within football’s tolerated grey zone, especially without explicit evidence.

Want to get the latest Liverpool news direct to your phone
For more news relating to Arsenal, visit our sister site AFC Latest Live.