Image source, Getty Images

Should Trent Alexander-Arnold join Real, he would emulate Steve McManaman, who moved from Liverpool to Madrid on a free transfer in 1999.

"If he does choose to go to Real Madrid and he does choose to forge a new adventure with a new language and a new lifestyle, all credit to him," McManaman told BBC Sport.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for him if he does go, and no doubt that he will be a superstar there as well."

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and top-scorer Mohamed Salah are also out of contract at the end of the season but McManaman thinks a homegrown player like Alexander-Arnold leaving for free would be viewed differently by supporters.

"It's unfair [to expect homegrown players to commit to one club for their entire career]. If Van Dijk or Salah leave then it it's Liverpool's fault, if Trent were to leave then it's Trent's fault," he added.

Image source, Getty Images

Since Trent Alexander-Arnold said he would rather win another Ballon d'Or than a Champions League, there has been a belief among some Liverpool fans that he is more focused on his own achievements.

In December, he celebrated scoring against West Ham with a 'chat' gesture, referencing the gossip about his future.

That brought more fan frustration given that by not publicly stating his desire to stay or leave, Alexander-Arnold had done little to quieten speculation over where he will be playing football next season.

Reports that Real had made an offer to bring the Liverpool number 66 to Madrid in January coincided with a tough afternoon for Alexander-Arnold against Manchester United, leading to abuse from some of his own fans inside Anfield.

While the defender has helped put Liverpool in a strong position to win the Premier League title in the months since, it remains to be seen what kind of reception Alexander-Arnold will receive from supporters as he looks increasingly likely to leave his boyhood club for nothing.

Image source, Getty Images

Trent Alexander-Arnold signed a new four-year contract in the summer of 2021 and scored penalties in shootouts of both finals as Liverpool won the League Cup and FA Cup in 2021-22.

The England full-back was named in the PFA team of the season for the third time at the end of that campaign and in July 2023 was named Liverpool vice-captain.

"I've never been shy of saying what my ambitions are and that's always been to captain this club," Alexander-Arnold said at the time. "This is a pathway and a stepping stone to that."

By the summer of 2024, he had just a year left on his contract and with no suggestion that a new deal was close to being agreed, the relationship between Liverpool fans and Alexander-Arnold has become more strained.

Alexander-Arnold irritated some Reds supporters in October by saying in an interview with Sky Sports that he would rather win a Ballon d'Or, football's most prestigious individual honour, than another Champions League with Liverpool.

As we mentioned earlier this morning, we are now going to turn our attentions onto the future of Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Real Madrid have been in talks over finalising a move for the England international on a free transfer this summer.

Image source, Getty Images

Elsewhere in international football news, Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies will miss the rest of the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury that he picked up during Canada's 2-1 win over the USA in California.

The 24-year-old defender will be undergoing surgery on his right knee following his return from international duty.

It has also been reported that Davies will be expected to be out for several months, meaning he will miss both Champions League quarter-final ties against Inter Milan next month.

French centre-back Dayout Upamecano will also face time on the sidelines after being diagnosed with loose bodies in his left knee after France beat Croatia 5-4 on penalties in Paris to reach the UEFA Nations League semi-finals.

FC Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl said: "Unfortunately, there's always the risk of players returning from international breaks with injuries - this time we've been hit particularly hard. The absence of Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano weighs heavily on FC Bayern."

Despite a poor qualifying campaign for Brazil, by their standards, they remain well placed to reach the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

They are fourth in the South America table, with four games remaining.

Brazil will play their next two qualifiers in June - away to second-placed Ecuador and at home to fifth-placed Paraguay - and conclude their qualifying campaign in September with matches at home to bottom side Chile and away to eighth-placed Bolivia.

The top six nations will qualify automatically for the World Cup finals, and Brazil have a healthy six-point advantage over Venezuela, who are in seventh place.

Should the unthinkable happen and Brazil drop into that seventh place, they will go into a Fifa play-off tournament, which will also include two teams from the Concacaf region (North, Central American and Caribbean) and one apiece from the African, Asian and Oceania regions.

Image source, Reuters

Brazil's "embarrassing" 4-1 defeat last night to Argentina was their fifth loss in 14 games of their South American World Cup qualifying campaign.

Head coach Dorival Junior took charge of the five-time World Cup winners in January 2024.

Before the former Sao Paulo manager's appointment, Brazil had picked up just seven points from their opening six World Cup qualifiers.

They went on to lose to Uruguay in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Copa America, but since then have picked up 14 points from a possible 24 in their subsequent World Cup qualifiers.

Next, we are going from Stockholm to South America next and it was a memorable night for Argentina.

Not only was their place in the 2026 World Cup confirmed, but they also cruised to a 4-1 victory over arch-rivals Brazil.

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI

You can watch some of what Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill said after the defeat in the video above.

Image source, Inpho

As we've alluded to already, it was a very young Northern Ireland team that took to the field against Sweden in Stockholm.

And one that was missing some key, influential players.

Talk may turn to another Liverpool full-back later this morning but Northern Ireland fans - and Michael O'Neill - are well aware of the impact Conor Bradley has for his country when he's fit and available.

He missed this international window injured while O'Neill lost two other options at the back with Sunderland duo Trai Hume and Dan Ballard also absent.

Add Ethan Galbraith, Ali McCann and striker Dion Charles to that list and NI were missing a host of starting players last night.

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI in Stockholm

After their surprising defeat to Luxembourg, Sweden were out to put on a bit of a display against Northern Ireland on Tuesday night in Stockholm.

And having one of the world's in-form strikers in that kind of mood was only going to go one way.

With a starting team with an average age of 22.6 - the joint-second youngest fielded by Northern Ireland since 1946 - it was another bright start before things quickly came unstuck on seven minutes.

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI in Stockholm

Image source, Getty Images

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill warned there were would be bumps on the road on the journey of his young Northern Ireland team.

However, few would have expected one to come so soon, or it be one of the size faced in Tuesday's 5-1 defeat in Sweden.

Sweden are a better team than their Nations League C status indicates, and in Newcastle United's Alexander Isak they have a world-class star at the helm.

But, fuelled by their defeat by Luxembourg, Sweden and Isak put on a clinical display in Stockholm.

"We obviously didn't come here to have a score-line like we had tonight, but we knew it would be a tough game," said O'Neill.

"I think 5-1 is maybe a bit harsh on us, but at the end of the day we did give them opportunities and at this level they will punish you."

It is not just Wales out of the home nations that were in action on Tuesday night.

Let's now take a look at Northern Ireland's friendly defeat to Sweden...

Wales are second in Group J after two games of their World Cup qualifying campaign.

They are level on four points with leaders North Macedonia, but behind them on goal difference.

The group's top seeds, Belgium, are yet to play a game. Their first match is away to North Macedonia on 6 June, and they play their opening home game against Wales three days later.

Wales

Results

• Wales 3-1 Kazakhstan
• North Macedonia 1-1 Wales

Fixtures

• 06 Jun: Liechtenstein (h)
• 09 Jun: Belgium (a)
• 04 Sep: Kazakhstan (a)
• 09 Sep: Canada (h - friendly)
• 09 Oct: England (a - friendly)
• 13 Oct: Belgium (h)
• 15 Nov: Liechtenstein (a)
• 18 Nov: North Macedonia (h)

Image source, Getty Images

Wales must finish top of Group J to assure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

If they finish second, Wales will go into a single-leg play-off semi-final. Victory in that would see them progress to one of four single-leg play-off finals, the winners of which will also progress to the World Cup finals.

The World Cup play-offs will be held in March 2026.

Should Craig Bellamy's side finish outside the top two in their group, they also stand a good chance of qualifying for the play-offs as one of the four best-ranked group winners in this season's Nations League.

Kath Morgan
Former Wales captain on BBC Radio Wales

I hate the summer window [international matches in June]. It doesn't sit well with me because we are just playing out the season.

Those are two huge games [against Liechtenstein at home and Belgium away], and the players are going to have to manage their own time off, then retrain.

It's going to be a very difficult campaign, again. We will only get there [the 2026 World Cup] and deserve to get there if we get a result.

Robert Earnshaw
Former Wales and Cardiff striker on BBC radio 5 Live

I think there is still more from this Wales team to come. David Brookes gets a 90th minute equalising goal but what we would like to see is more goal scorers and more chances created. I think there is still more from this Craig Bellamy team; another evolution is coming.

Kath Morgan
Former Wales captain on BBC Radio Wales

It was a much better performance, I think, by Wales. I am going to be critical [about their play] in the final third. I think we still have a lot of work to do with accuracy in the final third, but it was against a very technically astute and disciplined North Macedonia team and we must remember that.

Robert Earnshaw
Former Wales and Cardiff striker on BBC radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

As a coach, he [Craig Bellamy] is quite calm, and I know just from speaking to him he really tries to calm himself down during the games but he's really hyped up. Sometimes you can see that coming out. He'll play the game on the sidelines. He'll play every kick just like he's a player. That fire is still there but I know inside he's trying to calm himself down, to look at all the tactics. He's fired up. He's very proud of his team but he knows that more can come from this young Wales team.