Former Liverpool star Danny Murphy has weighed in on Trent Alexander-Arnold's proposed move to Real Madrid with the ex-midfielder claiming that the defender should be spared the wrath of fans' anger
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11:13, 26 Mar 2025
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool takes a throw in during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United FC at Anfield on January 05, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Liverpool vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold looks set to join Real Madrid in the summer
(Image: Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has insisted that the club's owners should shoulder the blame for allowing Trent Alexander-Arnold to leave Anfield. The news that Reds fans had been dreading emerged on Tuesday, with reports suggesting that Alexander-Arnold is set to join Real Madrid in the summer.
With the full-back entering into the last year of his contract on Merseyside, supporters had braced themselves for the worst. While Alexander-Arnold has not publicly announced that he is leaving Liverpool for Los Blancos, several outlets have reported that talks over a move are well in advance.
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Since the story broke, there has been a deluge of opinions with the 26-year-old vice captain firmly in the crosshairs of fans' ire, especially with the player expected to move to Spain on a free transfer.
Yet Murphy has suggested that the club's owners, Fenway Sports Group, should take the flak. Alexander-Arnold last signed a contract with Liverpool in 2021, yet Murphy has questioned why an an extension hasn't been proposed since, therefore enabling the club to cash in on the highly rated defender, instead of letting him walk away for nothing.
“Trent Alexander-Arnold is not at fault for leaving Liverpool on a free transfer; that is the fault of the club,” Murphy told Poker Firma.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool acknowledges the fans during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Accrington Stanley at Anfield on January 11, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Trent Alexander-Arnold is in the last few months of his contract with Liverpool
“I can understand the disappointment from the fans for not getting money from the move, but you must be realistic. Trent could have been sold when he didn’t sign a new deal last year or the year before that.
“In football, it’s been known that if you have a player that is wanted or appreciated by other clubs, you look to secure them to a new deal when they have at least two years left on their contract.
"If the player doesn’t want to sign a new deal, they’ll likely be sold; the club must protect the asset. That’s not always the case, but the football club has allowed not just this situation, but multiple situations where they could lose their best players and most valuable assets for nothing.
“I can understand the frustration from the fans that one of their own is leaving, he’s given everything to the club and he has won everything with Liverpool. You can’t begrudge him the opportunity to go and do that at another club.”
BBC pundit Danny Murphy
Danny Murphy believes Trent Alexander-Arnold shouldnt take the blame
The news that Alexander-Arnold is potentially about to end his 20-year association with Liverpool comes at a time when the future of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are also very much in doubt.
Both Salah and club captain Van Dijk are also in the last few months of their deals at the club, with no movement on contract extensions as yet reported. Yet while the duo could yet remain in a red shirt, it appears Alexander-Arnold's time at Anfield is coming to an end.
Speaking in September 2024, the Premier League winning star gave little away when asked about his future, yet stopped short of saying he will be in red come next season.
"Look, I have been at the club 20 years now, I have signed four or five contract extensions and none of those have been played out in public. And this one won’t be either," he said. "I want to be a Liverpool player this season is what I will say."
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