James Pearce shuts down £84m Liverpool defender bombshell rumour with five-word post
The Liverpool correspondent has dismissed talks that have been doing the rounds.
Liverpool have been the focus of a number of headlines throughout 2024, mainly regarding their transfer situation following the departure of Jurgen Klopp. Many expected something of an exodus of players to follow the icon boss out the door, but the Reds have been able to keep hold of the bulk of their squad for the 2024/25 season.
In fact, this year has been rather quiet for Liverpool on the transfer front. After a trio of free agents left Anfield at the end of last season, only two new faces put pen to paper to join the club. Federico Chiesa signed from Juventus and Giorgi Mamardashvili will make the move from Valencia next year. On the outgoings list, both Fábio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg signed for Brentford on a permanent basis, while six players pursued loan moves.
The Reds are keen on revisiting the market for new recruits in the new year and as things stand, club chiefs still need to work on tying down Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. All three are now well into the final 12 months of their contracts and speculation is swirling around their futures. Arguably, the most nail-biting situation is Alexander-Arnold’s, who has been identified as a top target for Real Madrid.
An interesting new update has emerged regarding the Liverpool vice-captain, but not in relation to his Anfield status. A report from French outlet L’Equipe has been doing the rounds in all areas of the world by claiming that Alexander-Arnold has made an offer to takeover Ligue 1 club Nantes. The report says that the right-back and his father have held talks with the outfit and an offer of €100 million (£84m) has been made through a London investment firm managed by his father.
While this report has stunned Liverpool fans and neutrals alike, James Pearce has provided a short but sweet update on the matter. Taking to social media, the Athletic reporter wrote: “Told this is not true,” in reply to an account posting the rumour.
Pearce is often at the forefront of reporting or debunking Liverpool transfer stories, but rubbishing a link between an active Liverpool player and a business venture in another league is not something that comes around all that often.
As things stand, Alexander-Arnold’s future remains a grey area as the club hope to tie him to a new deal, but nothing concrete has been announced just yet. The defender’s friendship with England teammate Jude Bellingham is also adding to the speculation regarding his links to Real Madrid.
Alexander-Arnold previously outlined that he would not be satisfied at Liverpool until he was named the captain, and with Van Dijk now into the latter stages of his career, it’s surely the next step for the 25-year-old at his boyhood club. All that is left for him is to put pen to paper over a new deal with Liverpool when the time comes.