Paul Scholes believes there’s one primary reason as to why Trent Alexander-Arnold looks set to depart Liverpool on a free transfer.
Numerous reports over the past week have claimed that the Reds’ vice-captain is close to agreeing a deal to join Real Madrid, with his contract at Anfield now into its final three months.
Not even an alleged proposal to make him the highest-paid English player in the Premier League seems to have been enough to persuade the 26-year-old to remain with his boyhood club, much to the dismay of LFC supporters.
What did Scholes say about Trent’s likely exit from Liverpool?
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, Scholes argued that despite Liverpool’s current position of dominance in the English top flight, he doesn’t envisage them turning that into a sustained period of glory over a number of years, believing that Real Madrid are better placed to do so.
The ex-Manchester United midfielder said: “I think Trent’s looking at Liverpool and possibly thinking that they’re a really good team – they’re gonna win the Premier League – but it doesn’t feel like they’re gonna be a dominant team for years to come.
“You might disagree with that, but it doesn’t feel like that at this point. It still feels like there’s a few issues at Liverpool, with Trent, with Van Dijk and Mo Salah, and you still think there’s a bit of work to do, so I think that’s the main difference.
“Real Madrid are gonna win leagues and they’re probably gonna win European Cups in the next 10 years, so I can understand him wanting to do it from that point of view.”
Is Trent abandoning Liverpool at the wrong time?
The first inclination of Liverpool fans may be to dismiss Scholes’ comments as wishful thinking on his part, given the obvious rivalry with Man United, but he isn’t wrong in saying that there are some major ‘issues’ to resolve at Anfield in the short-term.
It looks a forlorn pursuit to try and persuade Trent to stay, but the LFC hierarchy still have work to do if they’re to avoid Salah and Van Dijk also departing on free transfers in three months’ time.
Should that duo commit to the club for another couple of years, though, and Richard Hughes then oversees clever recruitment throughout the squad this summer, that ought to give Arne Slot a powerful platform from which to try and build a team to dominate English football over the next few seasons.
It’s also worth rememering the famous words of Steven Gerrard when he said 20 years ago (via The Athletic): “Would it mean more to me to win two or three trophies with Liverpool than double or even triple that number with Chelsea?”
Trent might well win multiple LaLiga titles and Champions Leagues at Real Madrid, but would any of those fill him with the same joy that he felt when lifting the Premier League trophy with his boyhood club in 2020, or the European Cup 12 months previously?
Alas, it seems as though he’s made his choice, and that looks set to cast his legacy among Reds supporters in a different light.
