Liverpool talisman Trent Alexander-Arnold is widely expected to join Real Madrid - though Kylian Mbappe might have just put a spanner in the Works.
Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold might have hit a stumbling block in his expected transfer to Real Madrid later this year.
Reports suggest that the England international has already agreed a move to the European champions. Liverpool are set to lose Alexander-Arnold for free, unless they agree to a sale this month – which could derail their season.
But Kylian Mbappe might have provided a Plan B for Los Blancos president, Florentino Perez, who is looking to assemble a new collection of Galacticos.
Mbappe is used to having a lot of sway wherever he goes. The World Cup winner was said to be the most powerful figure at Paris Saint-Germain after his last club, with the Guardian among those claiming that PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi ceded some control to give the star a say in how the club was run.
While there is no evidence that Real Madrid president Perez has offered anything like the same power at the Bernabeu, Fichajes have reported that Mbappe has approached his superior with an alternative right-back to sign.
According to the outlet, Real could sign Mbappe's close friend and former colleague Achraf Hakimi as a result, with the Moroccan's PSG contract winding up in 2026.
Ranked at no.3 in FourFourTwo's list of the best right-backs in the world right now, Hakimi may feel he has unfinished business in Spanish football. The Madrid-born defender came through Real's Castilla set-up before an eye-catching loan spell at Borussia Dortmund, a huge transfer to Inter Milan where he lifted the Scudetto, and then his move to Paris, where he became the third-most expensive African player of all-time.
Signing Hakimi as competition for Alexander-Arnold seems like a typical Perez move – though there could be any number of outcomes, here. Real could backtrack on the move for the Liverpool star or they may want him in the midfield long-term, as a No.6 alongside compatriot and friend, Jude Bellingham.
While Fichajes claims that Hakimi “could” make his sensation return and that, “the relationship between Mbappe and Hakimi could be a decisive factor,” FourFourTwo doesn't believe that this potential move is anywhere near as close as Alexander-Arnold's. There is unlikely to be too much worry from the England star's camp over these rumours.
It's far more likely that Hakimi spurns the opportunity to move to Madrid due to the competition in his position than Alexander-Arnold – though we could see the England star moving into midfield in time, with Hakimi an option as a right-back when his contract expires next summer.
Hakimi is worth €60 million, according to Transfermarkt. Real take on Red Bull Salzburg this week when Champions League action returns.