Liverpool have been told they “only have themselves to blame” over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s impending departure to Real Madrid on a free transfer after being warned they should have tied him down to a new deal two years ago – with a former star offering a big reason for the player’s move.
The Reds star falls out of contract at Anfield on June 30, allowing him to depart his boyhood club – whose association dates back 20 years – as a free agent. That’ll mean that, subject to his return from injury, the 26-year-old will have no more than nine games remaining in a Liverpool shirt.
That’s after the news broke on Tuesday that Alexander-Arnold has now agreed terms on a five-year deal with Real Madrid, earning the player riches beyond his wildest dreams and setting the 33-times capped England star up for life.
With 109-goal contributions throughout his Liverpool career, manager Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes have been left with an enormous hole to fill in their side. On the flipside, Real Madrid can feel extremely happy to be picking up another of the world’s elite stars on a free transfer – adding to their collection that currently includes Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba.
However, anger has started to rise from the Liverpool end at allowing such an important and influential star to run his contract down – and former striker John Aldridge feels the Reds’ owners only have themselves to blame.
“I’ll be gutted to be fair if he goes, but it’s his life,” Aldridge told the Liverpool Echo. “He’s free to live it the way he wants to live it. He’ll have been impressed by Arne Slot this season and get what he’s about, of course he does.
“You’ve got to say, though, he should have been tied down two years ago. We can’t knock the owners but I’m a dinosaur, and I think when contracts are coming to an end, in this day and age, since the Bosman ruling, you have to keep an eye on them all.
“You have to give yourself two years in advance to renew them. Once it goes to one year, you’ve been backed into a corner. You’ve been cornered and only have yourselves to blame if they go. It’s a game of cards. The longer it goes on, the better their hand gets and the poorer your hand gets. It’s poker, and you end up losing. That’s the way I see it.”
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Alexander-Arnold move to Real Madrid is ‘not about the money’
With the right-back having agreed a five-year deal at the Bernabeu through to summer 2030, Alexander-Arnold will pocket an estimated £240,000 a week – meaning that will mean he will amass a personal fortune of £62.4m during his stay in the Spanish capital. Furthermore, he will also pick up a hefty signing-on bonus, which reportedly equates to ‘a sizeable transfer fee’.
Despite that Aldridge insists Alexander-Arnold’s move to LaLiga is not about the money and feels the chance to test himself in another country, and for one of the best clubs in the world, is motivation enough.
“It’s a personal thing,” Aldridge argued, before concluding. “Obviously the financial incentives will be absolutely ridiculous, but he’s going to be a rich lad if he stays at Liverpool for the rest of his career.”
Despite the move enabling Alexander-Arnold to fulfil a personal dream, the player will not be allowed to don his favoured No.66 shirt at the Bernabeu after news emerged of a little-known LaLiga ruling that will prevent him from wearing it.
Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Real will soon give the move the ‘Here We Go’ green light very soon.
“Real Madrid and Alexander-Arnold, the agreement is very close, and here we go is expected soon,” he told his YouTube channel.
“Madrid always had Trent as option one, two and three in their shortlist for the full back position and now the agreement is really imminent. At the final stages.
“Real Madrid have sent their proposal to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s camp, and the agreement is really close.
“They are working in final details and then Real Madrid at the right moment when everything is signed will inform Liverpool on the agreement. And then Trent is fully expected to join Madrid in the summer.
“Here we go to follow very soon.”
Liverpool transfer latest: Triple signing talk; Van Dijk to follow Trent?
Meanwhile, wild speculation that Virgil van Dijk is ready to stunningly join Alexander-Arnold in quitting Liverpool for Real Madrid this summer has prompted a rapid update from Romano, with the transfer journalist also providing new information on the Reds’ hope of tying their captain down to a new deal.
While Alexander-Arnold’s exit will leave the Reds with an almighty hole to fill, Hughes andSlot are reported to have decided on the signing of a star described as a ‘speed demon’ as his replacement at Anfield and with the Reds manager seemingly having demanded the club brings in one of the few players in world football who can match TAA’s goal contributions.
Elsewhere,Liverpool are considering a breathtaking triple raid on Premier League rivals Bournemouth this summer and will reportedly offer the Cherries a prized young talent to help facilitate any move.
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