Journalist Henry Winter admits Liverpool supporters “will be feeling let down” by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave Anfield for Real Madrid – but has insisted life goes on for the Reds and having named the player ideally suited to replace him at right-back.
The worst-kept secret in football was seemingly confirmed on Tuesday morning when a raft of publications and journalists all confirmed Alexander-Arnold would be leaving Liverpool this summer to join crack Spanish giants Real Madrid as a free agent. The move to the Spanish capital will bring the curtain down on a 20-year association for the 26-year-old with his boyhood club.
Having allowed his contract to run down at Anfield, there is already a lot of finger pointing and anger at FSG for putting themselves in such a situation where a prized asset has been allowed to walk away for free, effectively costing them not only one of the world’s best right-backs, but also having lost an asset who at his peak has been valued at around the £83.6m (€100m, $108m) mark.
However, respected journalist Winter insists the Reds will bounce back from the setback of losing Alexander-Arnold, having named the player he thinks is already ideally suited to step into the side following his departure.
‘Liverpool Football Club are bigger than any player,’ Winter began in a lengthy post on X. ‘They have lost elite players before and carried on. Keegan leaves, Dalglish arrives, the trophies continue…
‘When a player leaves, it opens an opportunity for another, either promoted from within or expertly recruited.
‘Liverpool are very good at player development and player recruitment. Conor Bradley is still only 21, and obviously not yet in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s class, especially passing, but he showed his talent against, amongst others, Chelsea in Jan 2021 (one goal, two assists) and against Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe (that tackle).
‘Bradley’s unfazed by occasion or opposition. He invariably steps up whenever stepping in for Alexander-Arnold.’
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Alexander-Arnold deserves to leave Liverpool with respect and gratitude – Winter
Winter accepts there will be a large portion of Liverpool supporters upset by Alexander-Arnold’s decision to let his contract run down and move to LaLiga without allowing his boyhood club to collect a penny.
However, Winter argues that the player deserves to move on with gratitude from fans and having played a major role in their success in recent years.
‘Alexander-Arnold is being criticised by some Liverpool fans not only for the decision, barring a late U-turn to join Real this summer, but for the manner of the process behind his exit. The free transfer, the silence. There’s very rarely a smooth, seamless, accepted way to leave a club.
‘Show me the acrimony. Fans feel let down, spurned. But it needs recording and remembering that Alexander-Arnold has played well this season even with all the distraction of Real’s interest.
‘Now 26, he’s given so much to Liverpool over a decade. And he’ll leave, having contributed to Liverpool being champions again. Just as he contributed to their previous title success. To their Champions League success. To their FA Cup and EFL Cup success.
‘Alexander-Arnold has represented his boyhood love with skill, boldness, pride and passion on 349 occasions, scoring 22 times and assisting 86 goals. He’s contributed fully. He’s also represented the Club well off the field, committed to local community initiatives.’
Despite labelling Liverpool a ‘great club’, Winter insists few players turn down Real Madrid.
‘Liverpool are a great club, on the up under Arne Slot, but Alexander-Arnold will be joining the biggest club in the world.
‘The lure of Real Madrid is obvious. Bernabeu, his mate Bellingham, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Ancelotti, possibly Xabi Alonso next, their need for a younger right-back with Dani Carvajal 33.
‘As Alexander-Arnold gets on with his career at Real, Liverpool will get on with next season – their 134th.
‘A few tears will be shed, a few angry words will be unleashed but life will go on.’
Liverpool transfer latest: ‘Speed demon’ linked; triple Bournemouth raid?
The exit of Alexander-Arnold obviously leaves Liverpool with a sizeable hole to fill and reports earlier this week claimed Slot has demanded FSG move to sign a player described as a ‘speed demon’ as a like-for-like replacement.
With sources indicating that Slot has been promised a sizeable transfer kitty this summer and with the club ready to embark on what has been described to us as a ‘historic’ transfer window, the Dutchman is also in the market for three quality Bournemouth stars, with a highly-rated youngster set to to be used as bait to help sweeten a possible deal.
Meanwhile, wild speculation that Virgil van Dijk could follow Alexander-Arnold in quitting Merseyside for Madrid has prompted an urgent update from Fabrizio Romano, with the transfer expert also revealing the latest on Liverpool’s prospects of tying the Dutchman down to a new deal.
Trent timeline: How star’s career played out since last Liverpool contract
TAA's wages over time: £3,000 per week, 2016-17, £12,000 per week 2017-18, £40,000 per week 2018-21, £180,000 per week 2021-
By Samuel Bannister
July 30, 2021: Alexander-Arnold signs a new, four-year contract at Liverpool. “I’m honoured to be given the opportunity and to be shown the trust in the club to be given an extension, so it was a no-brainer for me,” the then-22-year-old said. “The state the club is in and where I’m at in my career is always a good option for me. To extend and make sure I’m here longer is always a good thing. I’m made up. It’s the only club I’ve ever really known, so to be here for this amount of time and extending to be here for a longer amount of time is amazing for me and my family.”
December 10, 2021: Alexander-Arnold is named as the Premier League player of the month for November 2021.
February 27, 2022: Liverpool win the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea on penalties, with Alexander-Arnold starting and scoring his spot kick.
May 14, 2022: Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties again, this time to win the FA Cup final and with Alexander-Arnold again being a scorer from the spot.
May 28, 2022: Alexander-Arnold starts in the Champions League final for Liverpool, but they lose to Real Madrid and the right-back is blamed in various columns for leaving Vinicius Junior free to score the winning goal.
June 9, 2022: Alexander-Arnold is named in the PFA Premier League team of the season.
July 31, 2023: Liverpool name Alexander-Arnold as their new vice-captain, second in command to Virgil van Dijk, following the departures of Jordan Henderson and James Milner. The following day, Alexander-Arnold states: “I’ve never been shy of saying what my ambitions are and that’s always been to captain this club. This is a pathway and a stepping stone to that. It’s a role and a responsibility I’m really looking forward to and I can’t wait to get started, get the season started and hopefully achieve the things we want to.”
February 10, 2024: Alexander-Arnold becomes the defender with the most assists in Premier League history thanks to setting up a goal against Burnley.
March 22, 2024: Fabrizio Romano confirms Real Madrid are monitoring Alexander-Arnold’s contract situation after he entered the final 18 months of his deal. The journalist will later re-post and pin the same update on his X account multiple times.
September 22, 2024: Alexander-Arnold gives a rare indication of his thoughts on his future to Sky Sports, saying: “I have always said I want to captain the club. That is a goal of mine; whether that happens is out of my hands. I want to be a Liverpool player this season [as a minimum] is what I will say. The most important thing is always trophies. I want to win trophies.”
December 31, 2024: Real Madrid make an approach to buy Alexander-Arnold in the January transfer window just before it opens, but Liverpool instantly reject it before any kind of fee is discussed.
January 17, 2025: An update from Marca claims Real Madrid are considering making a new bid to sign Alexander-Arnold in January, but it doesn’t come to pass and the attention turns to a pre-contract agreement.
January 26, 2025: Romano reiterates that Alexander-Arnold is Real Madrid’s no.1, no.2 and no.3 target and that they are ‘absolutely convinced’ they can sign him on a free transfer in the summer, with official contacts being prepared.
February 12, 2025: Telegraph journalist Mike McGrath reports that Real Madrid believe a deal for Alexander-Arnold to join in the summer is effectively done.
February 26, 2025: Athletic journalist James Pearce relays that Real Madrid are ‘very confident’ that Alexander-Arnold will become their player.
March 22, 2025: Marca claims Alexander-Arnold has rejected Liverpool’s last-ditch final offer of a new contract, making him there for the taking for Real Madrid.
March 25, 2025: Various reports imply Alexander-Arnold has agreed to join Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer when his Liverpool contract expires.