Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti drops Trent Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool transfer hint

Fresh comments from Carlo Ancelotti suggest , despite Dani Carvajal suffering a season-ending injury earlier this month.

Carvajal during Los Blancos' win over Villarreal on October 5, leaving Ancelotti extremely short on defensive options.

currently only has five fit defenders, and two of those players, Fran Garcia and Ferland Mendy, are left-backs. Antonio Rudiger and Eder Miltao are the only natural fit center-backs in Madrid's fit squad, while Lucas Vazquez is the only genuine right-back who is available.

Madrid has made Alexander-Arnold a top summer transfer target ahead of the expiry of the right-back's contract at Liverpool in June 2025.

It was reported by Spanish outlet earlier this month that Madrid could look to reach an agreement in the January transfer window after the injury to Carvajal. Speaking on the podcast, however, Liverpool expert James Pearce described that claim as "absolute nonsense", and Ancelotti's comments tally with Pearce's verdict.

Ancelotti said: “We have Lucas Vazquez, we trust him. Then there’s Eder Militao. I see him well as a right back, yes. I have not asked for new signings in January as last year we managed the situation well. Signing a player who will be good for Real Madrid is not easy. At the moment we are not thinking about it (signing a player in January).”

Meanwhile, it was reported by earlier this week that Alexander-Arnold's . The report said that talks between the Reds and over a new deal are "progressing well" and that

The news comes after it was reported by that Madrid has made Alexander-Arnold, who is into the final nine months of his current Liverpool deal, its No.1 summer transfer target at right-back ahead of the likes of Pedro Porro of Tottenham and Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong.