Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has given his verdict over Trent Alexander-Arnold's future at Anfield
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Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool reacts
Trent Alexander-Arnold is on Real Madrid's radar as time slips away on his Liverpool career
(Image: Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
Not wanting to begrudge Trent Alexander-Arnold if he were to make the 'difficult' decision to leave Liverpool this summer, Graeme Souness believes the full-back can be successful at Real Madrid. After all, the former Reds captain sympathises with this tense situation having left the club for abroad when at the peak of his own powers.
There may have been no on-field Liverpool action over the March international break but these weeks off have hardly been quiet. Dominating reports in recent days has been Alexander-Arnold, specifically the fact that Real Madrid are reportedly 'closing in' on the 26-year-old with his Anfield contract due to expire at the end of June.
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For some, feelings of betrayal stem from the fact the player's situation mean the Reds would make no money from his departure. Others simply feel a local talent who has spoken of his dream to captain his boyhood club one day, in such a successful era, is throwing away a legacy.
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In his column for The Daily Mail, Souness has responded: "I understand the frustration of Liverpool supporters towards Trent Alexander-Arnold over his decision to join Real Madrid but I don't think they can be too critical.
"I'm not sure whether the backlash is more because Liverpool won't be getting a substantial fee or just that Trent has chosen to leave.
"The timing of the news is unfortunate but that leak would not have come from Trent or his team. There is zero benefit to him or Liverpool in this coming out at this time, with a league title still to be won.
"Whatever the reasoning, the flak that may come his way in the remaining months will be nothing he can't handle. You don't play for a club like Liverpool with a poor temperament so he will cope with the criticism.
"He has given good service. He has been at the club for 20 years, he has won six trophies and what looks like becoming two Premier League titles, now he fancies another challenge. Like any ambitious young man, should we begrudge him that?"
"Not to mention, in Conor Bradley, Liverpool have a ready-made replacement who has all the hallmarks of becoming a top, top player.
"There are no obvious replacements for Mohamed Salah or Virgil van Dijk, so Liverpool supporters can at least take solace that Bradley is already in the building."
This week different pundits have given their verdicts on whether Alexander-Arnold would make it as a successful player in Spain. Gary Neville, for one, thinks he will struggle whereas in stark contrast Steve McManaman has passed on his 'superstar' backing.
"For Trent, Real Madrid are the only step up from Liverpool right now. I don't consider Barcelona to be there or Paris Saint-Germain given the league they play in. But I genuinely believe Trent can be a superstar at the Santiago Bernabeu," Souness said with the exact same working as his fellow former Red.
"Madrid are a team that play the vast majority of their games on the front foot where his qualities in the final third will come to the fore.
"Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior will be reaping the benefits as he delivers goalscoring opportunities on a plate to them week in week out. Against the very best teams, his defensive frailties may well be highlighted by the experts, but I believe the plusses in Trent's game will outweigh the minuses while he's there.
"Choosing to leave Liverpool to go abroad will not have been an easy decision for him but the biggest thing is it will make him a different human being. He will be richer, maybe for the salary, but more so culturally. It will be a life changing experience.
"That was certainly my experience of leaving Liverpool, though there's big difference to my departure abroad in 1984."
The Scotsman, now 40 years on from his own big decision at Anfield, was widely regarded to be at the top of his personal game as part of Bob Paisley's side, making 61 appearances in what turned out to be his final year.
In six years as a Liverpool player - two-and-a-half as captain - the midfield general won five First Division titles and three European Cups. Souness would continue his career seven years and in that span the Reds won three more titles.
Sampdoria player Graeme Souness pictured in action
Graeme Souness in August 1984, playing for Sampdoria months after leaving Liverpool behind
He reflected: "I was 31, not 26 like Trent, and Liverpool had no real imagination in coming up with a solution for me to stay. They also got almost double the £350,000 they'd paid Middlesbrough for me seven years earlier.
"My reasons for leaving Liverpool were due to my wife's personal situation. After all, we had just won the European Cup, the League Cup and the First Division title; I was captain of the best team in Europe.
"I had an opportunity to join Chelsea as their chairman Ken Bates did come up with a solution for me. It meant moving to Guernsey for tax reasons and coming back to train three days a week and play at the weekends. I met Ken on the Friday night that Liverpool had beaten Newcastle United 4-0 in the FA Cup. The same game saw the moment Kevin Keegan had decided it would be his last season when he got in a race with Mark Lawrenson and it was one he didn't win.
"As the season progressed, I was being made aware of interest from several Italian clubs, one of them being Sampdoria, where Trevor Francis played, and he ended up being the conduit for me ending up in Genoa.
"Kenny Dalglish and myself were the best-paid players in the country at the time. Sampdoria were offering a hell of a lot more than I was on at Liverpool and Italy then was the place to be.
"All the top players were there (in Serie A): Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Zico, Socrates. The list was endless with clubs being funded by very wealthy individuals, as was the case with oil magnate Paolo Mantovani who owned Sampdoria. And it was a challenge I was ready for.
"Further, there was significant benefit in going to Sampdoria as Trevor had already been there for two seasons and he was an enormous help for my family settling into a new country.
"Similarly, Trent has the benefit of having Jude Bellingham at Real, being that they are mates. Jude will be familiar with the environment, the culture, and the Spanish way of life plus the demands of being a Real Madrid player. Let's face it, living the Spanish way of life as a Real Madrid player must be fabulous.
"But I bet you when Trent finishes there, he will return to Anfield as a season-ticket holder," were Souness' parting words. "He will always be a Liverpool supporter at heart and maybe that's something those criticising should remember."