Real Madrid are drawing closer to securing their Trent Alexander-Arnold transfer. In fact, a journalist has dubbed the deal as 98% complete.
Real Madrid might operate silently at times but this doesn't prevent them from being stubborn with what they want. Indeed, Los Blancos remain in the business of signing their transfer targets, at any cost.
One player who they have been consistently linked to over the past few transfer windows is Trent Alexander-Arnold. The English full-back is under contract at Liverpool until the end of the season so he is now free to discuss a pre-contract negotiations with any club of his choosing.
Many believe that the club of his choice is Real Madrid. After all, Los Blancos have been consistently linked to his signing and they are known to sign the best players in the world for free.
Journalist reveals blockbuster Real Madrid transfer is 98% complete
According to a report from Jorge Picón of Relevo, the reason why Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid has been quiet in recent days is because the deal does not need to be shouted about. It is very close as it stands.
Picón cites Marca presenter Ramón Álvarez de Mon, who says that Trent to Real Madrid is now "98% done", which should certainly provide reassurance to Real Madrid fans.
Los Blancos have been incredibly calm throughout the entire proceedings. They have not pestered Liverpool and they have instead allowed the Merseyside club the opportunity to keep their player.
Admittedly, the ball was always in Real Madrid's court. They did not need to throw themselves full-throttle into the deal as Trent was always likely to join anyway. With no disrespect to Liverpool, the choice between Real Madrid and Liverpool makes itself.
Now, while it easy to be excited, we must not be overly excited by the "98% done" claim. After all, this is an arbitrary number which is picked from the sky and has no existence in reality.
Transfers do not work on a completion tracker. Instead, they exist on a spectrum as there is no one size fits all. While it might seem to be 98% done to journalists, we must not be surprised if there are continued spanners in the works.
After all, Real Madrid will not be dealing with Trent Alexander-Arnold who presents himself well. Instead, they will be dealing with Trent's agents. Such agents are known to make transfer proceedings difficult, since they want the best for their clients.