Jamie Carragher has issued a warning to Trent Alexander-Arnold over the possibility of him joining Real Madrid on a free next summer.
Carragher stressed that Liverpool fans would find it difficult to accept such a move, especially given Alexander-Arnold’s status.
The Liverpool star, who is central to the team’s success, has been a standout player, and his departure would be a major blow to the club’s future plans.
Carragher’s comments come as Liverpool enjoy a fine season under Arne Slot, at the top of the Premier League, two points ahead of second-placed Chelsea and also leading the group stage table in the Champions League.
With Alexander-Arnold entering the final year of his contract at the club, questions have been raised about his long-term future.
Real Madrid have been linked with a move for the England international but Carragher has some reservations about the potential transfer.
Carragher wrote in his Daily Telegraph column:
“My team-mate Michael Owen had one year left on his contract when he joined Real from Liverpool in 2004. He too was in a struggling Liverpool team with the arrival of a new manager, Rafael Benítez, and a lot of uncertainty.
“Once again, Real paid just £8m for a player who was worth much more. Michael’s move to Manchester United later in his career would have hurt his legacy further, but even so, the terms of his departure to Real did not help.
“That’s the biggest problem for Trent – the free transfer. As with Macca (Steve McManaman), the fans will feel the club is losing an £80m player for nothing, and they won’t like it. My advice for Trent it would be for him to sign a new deal, with a reasonable termination clause, that will give the club some value if Real or anyone else decides to honor it.
“The attitude of the fans towards Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, both also out of contract in the summer, is not the same as towards Trent. There are many reasons for this, but a big part of it is the local guy factor. The feeling is that playing for Liverpool should be the ultimate ambition for a Liverpool boy. It was the same for Macca, Michael (Owen), Stevie (Steven Gerrard) and myself and it will be the same for Trent and Curtis Jones.”
Is Trent Alexander-Arnold’s time at Liverpool over?
It seems the right-back has decided to leave the Premier League leaders.
He has achieved all he can at Liverpool and now feels the time is right for a new chapter in his career.
A move to Real Madrid in Spain would reunite him with his best friend Jude Bellingham and also give him the chance to compete to win the Champions League every season.
His departure would naturally be a huge blow for the Merseyside club, who would lose the player for free when they could have received a record fee for a defender in other circumstances.
Carragher has an opinion on how the fans would feel, but players have almost always listened to their hearts when deciding their futures and for Alexander-Arnold, Real Madrid present an ideal opportunity.
The League of Giants Real Madrid are also interested in Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.
