Trent Alexander-Arnold has made the decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season but his exit could be sooner, if Real Madrid get their way.
Ahead of the Club World Cup, which starts on 14 June, there is an emergency transfer window open from 10 June to the 16th.
As the Spaniards are playing in the tournament and with it being obvious that’s where our right back is heading, they will be able to make an offer to the Reds for his services – before his contract ends.
This means that Liverpool must make a decision, hold onto the Scouser until the end of June or allow him to leave early – in return for money or even as a gesture of goodwill to the player.
Speaking on ‘It’s Called Soccer’, Gary Neville spoke about a reported £1 million offer from the La Liga side for the services of the England international: “I can see why Real Madrid have done it and why Trent Alexander-Arnold would like that.
“Because it’ll embed him into his teammates almost sort of well before obviously he gets pressure put on him next season playing in Spain.
“But I think Liverpool will be torn, it’s a cheeky million quid they weren’t expecting but also I think there’ll be an element of them saying ‘No, we’ve got pride, we’ve got ego, we don’t need that million quid.’
“We don’t know. But I don’t know, I think they’re being sensible, he’s a player obviously who has been with them all his life. If he wants to go, I would ask Trent Alexander-Arnold.
“And I think if Liverpool ask him and he says, ‘I’d like to go and play for them,’ then do the deal and take the money.
“Because, I mean Trent could say, ‘No, I don’t want to do it.’ But he must want to do it, Trent must want to go and play in the World Cup Championship with his new teammates.”
It’s certainly a discussion that the club will be having internally but to suggest that our pride and ego would get in the way of something that’s beneficial for the 26-year-old, is strange.
Has he not put his pride and ego above the club, so that he can pursue a move on a free transfer to a rival European team?
It seems Alexander-Arnold can do no wrong in this transfer
Jamie Carragher has tried to explain why Liverpool fans are upset with the full back for making the decision to want to leave, though not everyone is on board with this.
Chris Sutton thinks the reaction from some supporters could force more players to want to leave Anfield, especially those who are born and bred in the city.
You don’t have to agree with the negative takes on this departure but it’s remarkable how so many can’t even fathom how fans and the club can feel aggrieved when a homegrown player has ran down his contract and left on a free.
You can view Neville’s comments on Alexander-Arnold (from 4:48) via The Overlap US on YouTube:
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