On Tuesday, rumours about Liverpool vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold agreeing to join Real Madrid this summer spread like wildfire, sparking plenty of outrage among the Anfield faithful. The subsequent checks by more reliable journalists, resulting in revelations that Los Blancos were pushing to get it done but nothing had indeed been agreed yet, did little to calm things down. The fact remains, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season and Real after his signature on a free transfer, many expect the transfer to go through on July 1st, even if an official confirmation isn’t to be expected before the final Premier League round on May 25th. Fabrizio Romano, for example, says his usual “here we go” will come soon, with only minor details on a five-year contract between the England right-back and the Spanish giants left to be ironed out.
Painful memories stirred
Having dropped from the stellar heights of the 1980s to practically an average Premier League side throughout the following quarter of a century, Liverpool rose back up powerfully under Jurgen Klopp, but the years which preceded the arrival of the charismatic German saw some great players leave Anfield in search for greater glory elsewhere. In 2001, Robbie Fowler joined Leeds United. In 2004, Michael Owen left for Real Madrid. In 2011, Fernando Torres joined Chelsea. In 2014, Luis Suarez forced a transfer to Barcelona, and a year later, Raheem Sterling kicked up a fuss to join Manchester City. It happened once again later, under Klopp, when Philippe Coutinho moved to Barcelona in January 2018.
But since then, Liverpool have won the Champions League (and played in two more finals), along with the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, won the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Carabao Cup twice – practically every trophy on offer. They’ve certainly established themselves at the top of the game, and are even now on course to equal Manchester United’s record of 20 titles in the English top flight.
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There is obviously no reason for any player to leave in search of anything better. But for Alexander-Arnold, it seems there is a need to search for something different – a different challenge, culture, climate – and if there is still a step up from Liverpool in world football, or from any other top club for that matter, it can only be Real Madrid. And let’s face it – not everyone can be Steven Gerrard.
But whatever may the reasons behind the 26-year-old’s rumoured decision be, at Liverpool he was expected to wear the captain’s armband at some point in the near future, currently being the first deputy to 33-year-old Virgil van Dijk, whose contract also expires soon. He was born in Liverpool, his name had great significance for the supporters, “the Scouser in our team” as they used to sing from the Anfield stands. And while some may point to the fact that he has the right to decide where he wants to play and label his desire to move to the Spanish capital as understandable, nothing less can be said about the feeling of shock and disappointment, even anger, among Liverpool fans. It’s also a fact that he’s a regular starter in the team, that his presence on pitch contributes greatly to the creativity of the team, and that the Reds need him for years to come.
The feeling of being let down by someone so loved cannot be turned off at will, and the memories of all the painful departures since the start of the century have obviously been awakened.
Trent’s legacy
Alexander-Arnold’s involvement in everything Liverpool have done since 2018 has been of vital significance. In all competitions, he’s worn the famous red shirt on 349 occasions at senior level, with 22 goals and 87 assists. Most of his goals were long-range stunners, and his assists were a seal of great authenticity of the way Liverpool played under Klopp, particularly during the golden days that followed Coutinho’s departure. He’s produced some iconic moments for the club, such as the “corner taken quickly” against Barcelona and the shushing of Manchester City fans at the Etihad.
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On the other hand, Trent has often been (rightly) criticized for his defensive deficiencies, which mostly came from his constant involvements up front, as well an occasional lapse in concentration when he’d lose track of an opponent’s movements. But he mostly endured the criticism without a word and sought to respond with a strong big-game performance.
Sometimes, his stretch of poor form would become worrying, but all things considered, the greatness of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s legacy at Liverpool cannot be reasonably doubted.
And this is where the greatest debate regarding the ongoing situation is based – would that legacy be ruined if he left the club for nothing to join Real Madrid this summer? It’s fair to say that there are many different opinions among Liverpool fans.
Almost all of them feel sorry about seeing a player often described as a generational talent, born in the city, leave the club, but while some hold to the view that it’s his right to try something new, to take another step in his illustrious career, others feel that by joining Real Madrid, the club that’s frequently been Liverpool’s arch-enemy in the Champions League in recent years, particularly as a free agent, Alexander-Arnold would completely ruin what could’ve been a historic legacy at Anfield.
Arguably, there’s plenty of truth both ways. On one hand, some things Trent has done for Liverpool will never be forgotten, no matter what. He will always be valued for giving his all for the shirt in all the years at the club, since the age of six. On the other hand, by leaving to join Real Madrid this summer as free agent, he would surely pass up a chance to remain cemented in Liverpool’s history as one of the great icons of the club, joining the likes of Gerrard, Sir Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, and others, believing the grass is greener elsewhere.
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