Trent Alexander-Arnold has been warned that the booing he has suffered since announcing his plans to quit Liverpool could be nothing like what he could face at Real Madrid, while a former star has named the player he wants to see replace him in the starting line-up.
The 26-year-old defender confirmed earlier this month that his time at boyhood club Liverpool was coming to a close and his 20-year association with the Merseysiders would finish at the end of his contract this summer. And while leaves Liverpool at arguably the strongest point in their recent history, they were unable to offer him the one thing his next club, Real Madrid, could: a fresh challenge.
All the same, the fact that he is quitting Anfield as a free agent and allowing his contract to run down without a penny going into the Liverpool coffers has not gone down well with their faithful.
And having been left stunned by a small pocket of booing at home following his introduction off the bench against Arsenal last Sunday, one of the club’s most famous fans has now come out and told Alexander-Arnold he should play no part in their title parade scheduled for Bank Holiday Monday, May 26.
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However, it should be noted that the Anfield jeering was only subject from a small pocket of fans, with others choosing to either keep their feelings to themselves or deciding the player should ultimately leave with the respect he deserves.
Furthermore, former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit feels those boos be nothing compared to what the player could face at the Bernabeu if he does not get off to a positive start.
“It’s going to be a different world for Trent Alexander-Arnold. When you join Barcelona and Real Madrid, you have to forget everything you’ve done so far,” Petit warned.
“It’s a different story. You open a new book. We all know how Real Madrid have struggled, defensively this season. Trent Alexander-Arnold can bring in talent offensively, but we all know what happens when he has to defend.
“Real Madrid have conceded too many goals this season and will Trent Alexander-Arnold change that? He will bring goals but defensively I’m not so sure.
“I think the protection he received from Liverpool fans over his defending in the past was deserved because he has been a tremendous player for the club, but if he does that at Real Madrid, they are going to put pressure on him straight away.
“There is a chance that if he does perform badly, they could boo him. The first game that he makes a mistake, the pressure will be on from the media and the fans, just like many, many top players who have joined Real Madrid.”
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Alexander-Arnold replacement at Liverpool named
On the subject of that booing, former Reds player turned BBC pundit Stephen Warnock has urged Liverpool fans to call it a day.
“I’m of the opinion that the Liverpool fans shouldn’t be booing Trent Alexander-Arnold,” said Warnock. “He’s a local lad; he’s one of their own and has made a decision – the fans need to move on. Yes, it’s not ideal, I know I’d love to see him stay, but I don’t understand the booing. I couldn’t believe it. There were fights breaking out between fans about their opinions on the matter, it is disappointing to see.
“I don’t think Trent will get the send-off that he wants, but who knows, maybe on the last day if it’s an emotional moment. When he was booed coming on the other day, it’s as if the fans then saw what they were going to be missing as he was playing passes around the park, and the Liverpool fans couldn’t help but cheer. You can’t help but appreciate the kind of player he is. He may not get the send-off he’d like, but at the end of the day, the fans will have to appreciate what he’s done for the club.”
Liverpool are well down the line to signing a replacement with Jeremie Frimpong poised to sign on the dotted line.
However, Warnock believes academy product Conor Bradley has enough in his game to take the shirt on a regular basis.
“I think Liverpool should be bringing in a right-back who’s around 25 years old who has experience but also knows that they probably won’t play every single game. That said, once you bring in competition, that shirt will be up for grabs. I do think Conor Bradley will be the long-term successor, though, but Arne Slot might have a different plan. He might want someone similar to Trent who’s happy to step into the midfield.
“We haven’t seen what Slot looks for in a signing yet, so it’s difficult to call. I do think Conor Bradley has the experience under his belt now to be Liverpool’s starting right-back, he’s really good in 1vs1 situations, he defends well and goes forward extremely well. The only thing I’d say is that he does sometimes get sucked into the crowd, but that’s just an age thing. He can get a little bit excited and make a challenge at the wrong time but apart from that he’s fantastic – that’ll come with experience.
“He’s a magnificent player and has a great stature, if you’re a winger coming up against him, you can see he’s tall, he’s athletic and suits everything you’d want from a modern-day full-back.”
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Meanwhile, new Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso is reportedly already planning a third new signing of his regime at the Bernabeu, with a devastating second raid on Liverpool seemingly planned to follow up the capture of Alexander-Arnold and after an agreement was also reached for Dean Huijsen.
Elsewhere, the Reds are expected to have scouts in attendance at Saturday’s FA Cup final as Crystal Palace take on Manchester City at Wembley, amid claims they areprepping a move to sign a top Crystal Palace star in a possible £60m deal.
And finally, Liverpool could complete a masterful striker swap deal that gets rid of Darwin Nunez and hands Arne Slot a deadly replacement this summer, per a report.
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