Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's proposed move to Real Madrid appears to be edging closer by the day
Way before the end of the 1976/77 season, Kevin Keegan had told Liverpool and the club’s fans that he would be leaving. It did not go down particularly well but before long, there was what you might call a grudging acceptance of Keegan’s decision.
“I felt I was stagnating at Liverpool,” Keegan would later say. “I was just being honest with the punters and I think a lot of them accepted my reasons.”
A lot of them might have accepted his reasons but even though he signed off with a typically brilliant performance in the European Cup final - Liverpool beating Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 in Rome - Keegan’s name in Anfield’s history books has never been as gilded as it should be. Keegan helped Liverpool win three First Division titles, two UEFA Cups and an FA Cup, as well as that European Cup. By any standards, he was an Anfield great.
And so, even at the relatively tender age of 26, is Trent Alexander-Arnold, but if and when he leaves for Real Madrid, the fondness of Liverpool fans for him will be significantly diluted. That is just a fact.
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For a start, Alexander-Arnold has not been as open with the supporters as Keegan was almost half a century ago. He has never said whether he wants to stay or go. But neither has Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. And, to be fair, the days of Keegan-style frankness are long gone.
Even so, if he does go to Madrid, he could probably have handled his departure just a touch better. But that is not what will truly rankle with Liverpool supporters. What will truly rankle is the incessant commentary that says a move to Real Madrid is irresistible, even for a player at a club with Liverpool’s rich history.
Liverpool's Kevin Keegan on the ball at the 1977 FA Cup Final at Wembley
Kevin Keegan was a hero at Liverpool before leaving for Hamburg
And there is actually a narrative from a good number of ex-professionals out there that suggests Liverpool supporters should thank Alexander-Arnold for his fantastic service and wish him well in a new chapter of his career. Which would be lovely. Alexander-Arnold has been wonderful for his boyhood club, an unbelievable talent who has represented the team and the city with true distinction.
Great lad, great player. No question. But like it or not, that is not how supporting a club works. For a Liverpool supporter - and the same is probably true of a number of fanbases - the idea that there is a bigger club than your own is unpalatable.
Of course, the lifestyle and the challenge in the Spanish capital is very alluring. He will be playing alongside brilliant team-mates in a great stadium and great city. But, essentially, Alexander-Arnold - if the move is confirmed - will be saying he would rather, for whatever the reasons, be playing for Real Madrid than for Liverpool.
Never mind the obvious attractions of a move, Liverpool fans will believe you don’t choose to leave Liverpool, Liverpool chooses to leave you. That is the way it was when Keegan walked away and that is the way it will be when Alexander-Arnold walks away.
That is the way it has always been when any player walks away. That is fandom. That is what supporting your club is all about. There is little room for logic, common sense or reason.
If he leaves, Liverpool fans will remember the many sensational performances Alexander-Arnold produced for the club but, equally, they will remember he ran down his contract to facilitate a lucrative move to Real Madrid. That is the way a lot of fans will judge this scenario.
If he does go, it would be smashing if Alexander-Arnold was given nothing but a warm, fond farewell. But that is not going to happen because, as illogical as it may be, that is not how supporting your club works.
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