Liverpool may have waited too long to match Real Madrid's contract offer to Trent Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool look to be on course for a Premier League title, but the future of several big-name players at Anfield are up in the air. Real Madrid's interest in Trent Alexander-Arnold has the skillful fullback considering a big-money move away from Anfield.

Real Madrid's interest in the English international has been a topic of gossip around the football world for months. The Mirror is reporting that officials at Anfield have finally elected to offer Alexander-Arnold a contract with similar wages to what he's being offered by Real Madrid. Specifically, a five-year, £78 million five year contract.

The only financial issue with their offer is that it does not include the same signing bonus he can get by moving to the La Liga giants.

Liverpool makes contract offer to Trent Alexander-Arnold, but is it too late?

In the end, Alexander-Arnold may not make a decision that's based on money. He has a sincere emotional attachment to his boyhood club that Liverpool officials are hoping will convince him to sign a new deal with the club.

That's what makes their delay in offering him a new contract so perplexing. There is no logical reason why Liverpool officials drug their feet when it came to matching Real Madrid's wage packet. They are one of the richest teams in England. They clearly believe Alexander-Arnold is a key piece of their potential title-winning puzzle.

Club officials should not have allowed Real Madrid to steal a march on them by offering him a big-money deal. Liverpool should have made their best offer to Alexander-Arnold weeks ago to help increase their chances to retain the 26-year-old star.

Time will tell if this tactical error by the higher-ups at Anfield comes back to haunt them. Losing Alexander-Arnold would not be a fatal blow to Arne Slot's project, but it would be a costly mistake by a club that prides itself on taking care of their home grown players. If Alexander-Arnold does trade England for Spain it's possible Liverpool will have their slow movement to blame.