Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson has claimed that right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has decided to leave the club.
The Liverpool defender has entered the final year of his contract at the club and his long-term future at Anfield remains uncertain.
There have been plenty of suggestions in the media about what the England international will do next, but with each passing month, uncertainty grows over the chances of him signing a new contract at the club.
Real Madrid have shown interest to the player’s services and although the club have been in talks to keep him, Lawrenson feels the full-back has decided to leave and start a new chapter in his career away from the Merseyside club.
While speaking talkSPORTthe Liverpool legend said:
“I think he’s already agreed to go, to be honest with you, because his big mate is playing there, isn’t he?”
“And I think he’s one of those guys who is very well educated, and he’s thinking, you know what? I’ve done everything in Liverpool, maybe I should go to Spain, learn the language.
“Why wouldn’t you want to play for Real Madrid? They win the Champions League every year, don’t they?”
Lawrenson’s comments may not go down well with Liverpool fans, but he is correct in his assessment.
The opportunity to play for Real Madrid is something most players find hard to turn down.
Alexander-Arnold has achieved everything in his Liverpool career and now Real Madrid offers the ideal opportunity to take his career to the next level and become part of the modern Galacticos.
You can’t blame Trent Alexander-Arnold if he joins Real Madrid
He is 26 years old and already one of the best players in the world in his position, the opportunity to play with his close friend Jude Bellingham and with two of the best attacking players in world football; Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr will be hard to turn down.
From Liverpool’s perspective, it will be a sad end to Alexander-Arnold’s time at the club, but from the player’s perspective, it’s what his career needs.
Liverpool could face the blow of the club’s most departures with Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk also in the last year of his contract at the club.
At the beginning of January, all these players will be able to negotiate a pre-agreement contract with other clubs and this would put the Merseyside club in a weak position.
