Trent Alexander-Arnold's future has been a topic of discussion for several months now, and it is a credit to the right-back that he has performed so well against the backdrop of such uncertainty around his future.
Alexander-Arnold has been at Liverpool since he was a young boy, joining the club in 2004, and a departure at the end of the season would no doubt be emotional for all parties. It is by no means guaranteed that he will end up leaving, but the lack of noise around a possible renewal is cause for concern.
Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are in identical situations to Alexander-Arnold, but both men have made it clear that it is their preference to stay at the club. In fairness to Alexander-Arnold, he said in September that he had no intention of letting his talks with Liverpool play out in public, but comments from Van Dijk and Salah have magnified Alexander-Arnold's silence.
It is no secret that Real Madrid has made Alexander-Arnold it's No.1 target for next summer's transfer window, and the lure of perhaps the biggest club in the world is undeniable. Many soccer players view playing for Real Madrid as the ultimate achievement, and although Liverpool fans would not like to see the defender move to the Bernabeu next summer, they could forgive him for doing so.
One club Liverpool fans would not forgive him for joining, though, is Manchester City. A new report by CaughtOffside says City has opened talks with representatives of the right-back about a possible shock move next summer.
City is listed as one of four clubs that are interested in Alexander-Arnold, alongside Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, and it's fair to say his Anfield legacy will be ruined if he moves to the Etihad Stadium.
Liverpool's rivalry with City has developed into one of the most exciting rivalries in the Premier League, with Alexander-Arnold himself recently describing it as the El Clasico of English football. It's not clear just how accurate the report linking him with City is, but there's no doubt that Alexander-Arnold would burn his bridges with a huge chunk of Liverpool fans with a move to the Etihad Stadium.