Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold has reportedly made a bid to buy French football club FC Nantes. The 25-year-old defender, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, is said to have offered €100 million (£84m) for the Ligue 1 side through a London investment firm managed by his father, Michael.
According to French sports newspaper L’Equipe, the England international and his dad held remote talks with the club’s hierarchy in the summer before meeting in person more recently. However, it’s claimed that the proposed financials did not meet the valuation of Nantes owner Waldemar Kita, who is reported to be ‘furious’ at the leak of Alexander-Arnold’s interest and has denied the reports.
Nantes are at the center of a £100m legal battle with Cardiff City over the tragic death of striker Emiliano Sala. The legal wrangling between the two clubs has been ongoing almost since Sala’s death five years ago in a plane crash. Alexander-Arnold is also a minority shareholder in the French Formula 1 team, Alpine.
Alexander-Arnold’s contract situation at Liverpool, coupled with the interest from Real Madrid, has raised concerns among fans about his future at the club. The right-back’s options in the post-Jürgen Klopp era, now under the management of Arne Slot at Anfield, are being evaluated. Slot has mentioned that there are no updates on new deals for key players like Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil van Dijk.
Arne Slot expressed his focus on working with the team in the best possible way to get the best out of them amid contract uncertainties. The Liverpool star considered purchasing AS Saint-Etienne and Le Havre before deciding on pursuing a bid for Nantes, a team with eight French titles to their name.
Fans and analysts await developments in Alexander-Arnold’s career trajectory as he navigates club ownership interests and contractual negotiations against the backdrop of potential moves to European football giants like Real Madrid.