Real Madrid fans have been getting carried away over a potential move for Trent Alexander-Arnold for some time, and his latest message to Jude Bellingham hasn't slowed their excitement.
Liverpool star Alexander-Arnold is in the final year of his contract at Anfield, and will be able to talk to clubs on the continent in January ahead of any potential summer move. Madrid are understood to be admirers of the England international as they look for a longer-term successor to long-serving right-back Dani Carvajal.
Alexander-Arnold's friendship with compatriot and Los Blancos star Bellingham has been in focus of late. The pair were spotted partying together over the summer, while the Euro 2024 finalists were also spotted eating together in Los Angeles before returning to club duty.
Both men were in action for their clubs in the opening round of Champions League fixtures, with Liverpool beating AC Milan 3-1 and Real Madrid overcoming Stuttgart by the same scoreline. For some Real Madrid fans, though, all eyes were on what they saw on social media.
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Bellingham's 80-minute run-out against Stuttgart was his first action in nearly a full month. He missed the last four La Liga matches through injury, but was considered fit to start under Carlo Ancelotti.
Sharing a photo from the Champions League game, the 21-year-old included the one-word caption "Back". Alexander-Arnold was one of a number of players to respond, and his comment - "We back" - was picked up on by fans.
"We already know you want to be a Madrid player," wrote one, with another replying with the more straightforward "Come to Madrid". "Next year to Real was the response from a third.
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Alexander-Arnold earlier added fuel to the fire when he signed a Real Madrid shirt during his summer holiday. The partnership between him and Bellingham on the field has already reaped benefits, with Bellingham hailing his team-mate after England's Euro 2024 group stage win over Serbia, and there have been indications he'd welcome a collaboration at club level.
"He makes it so easy for me because he can control the game so well defensively in that position," Bellingham told ITV. "I know people talk a lot of rubbish but he's so aggressive with that back to goal pressure and it really helped me as well because it meant I got a breather when he went out. I think we understand each other well with the ball, he wants to play positive all the time, he wants to play forward all the time."
This isn't the first time the England team-mates have been touted as club colleagues, though, with former Three Lions star Conor Coady indicating there were efforts made to bring Bellingham to Liverpool before he ultimately chose Real Madrid. “I think Hendo (Jordan Henderson) and Trent tried with Jude at the World Cup, I do, 100 percent," Coady joked on 5 Live Sport.
“They man-marked the life out of him. I think those two tried it and to be fair you would wouldn’t you if you’re at a club like that and you know he’s going to leave in the summer. 100 per cent you would, without a shadow of a doubt.
"They were either side of him, we’d all be sat there and they’d be talking about how good Liverpool is, Klopp is and this sort of stuff and we’d all be sat there having something to eat and listening to them.”
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