Liverpool supporters still haven’t fully got over Trent John Alexander-Arnold leaving them for Real Madrid. Part of the fury was that he went for a knockdown price, failing to leave his boyhood club with a big reward for how they progressed his career.
Another aspect is that Liverpool fans usually see their club as the pinnacle of football, especially when the Reds are going through a period of success.
That may not be the case right now, or this season under Arne Slot, but relatively the Premier League champions are in a great part of their history to date.
After Trent, other players have been linked with moves to Real Madrid and elsewhere. That’s partly down to genuine interest, especially those coming to the end of their contracts, and partly down to the articles gaining traction from Liverpool fans, especially when Los Blancos are mentioned.
One of those occasionally pushed forward for a potential transfer is Cody Gakpo. He’s getting extra attention in the Netherlands this week ahead of Liverpool versus PSV.
[ESPN Netherlands](https://www.espn.nl/voetbal/artikel/_/id/15935390/uitzonderlijke-cody-gakpo-voor-de-eeuwigheid-opgenomen-in-eindhovens-voetbalerfgoed) have spoken to Rini de Groot. The youth coach is credited with discovering Gakpo and taking him to PSV.
As part of the chat, De Groot was asked ‘the big question’. That is whether Gakpo has reached his ceiling at Liverpool or if there’s a further step.
De Groot, who is still close to the player, dismissed the idea of Liverpool being a step to something else.
ESPN Netherlands quote him as saying: _“What’s even higher than Liverpool? He needed some time to get started, but now he’s indispensable. Not even with the Dutch national team. I feel like he can only get better.”_