Liverpool 'agent talks' hint at Trent Alexander-Arnold plan

Stuart Telford

• 24 Jun 2023 09:12 BST
• 3 min read

Liverpool have met with the agents of Bayern Munich and France right-back Benjamin Pavard, offering a clue as to Trent Alexander-Arnold's future at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp's priority at Liverpool this summer remains strengthening his midfield.

The Reds have signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton for £35 million, but with top target Jude Bellingham joining Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund, and James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita all leaving, further surgery is needed.

READ: Liverpool lowball Real Madrid for Bellingham alternative

Liverpool have been linked with a number of midfielders, particularly French trio Khephren Thuram, Manu Kone and, latterly, Aurelien Tchouameni, but their compatriot Pavard could prove a shrewd acquisition in more ways than one.

Liverpool tracking Pavard

"Liverpool and Pavard. They talked with the agents but have never been concrete with the club and that's also the positions of the other clubs," SportBild's Head of Football Christian Falk wrote in his CaughtOffside column.

"There aren't many clubs which are of interest to Pavard. There was and is Barca, there's Liverpool, Chelsea, then if City are on the table, City too."

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Alexander-Arnold to open contract Liverpool talks

Bayern are reportedly willing to sell Pavard for €30-40m, and with Madrid wanting €80m for Tchouameni, his signing could be inspired - not least because he is able to play at right-back and provide cover in the centre.

With Pavard on the books, Klopp could move Alexander-Arnold into his midfield on a full-time basis. The academy graduate impressed there at the back end of last season and has publicly said it is his best chance of regular England appearances.

He assisted Bukayo Saka playing on the right of a midfield three as England beat North Macedonia 7-0 in Euro 2024 qualifying recently, and Liverpool are reportedly ready to extend his contract beyond its current expiry of June 2025.

Signing Pavard for €40m could be a budget-friendly way of unleashing a player valued at €85.7m by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm in what is becoming his best position.