Ex-Liverpool man states defender ‘owes’ Liverpool though Real Madrid move would ‘open his world up’
Question marks around Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool future linger with the right-back into the final 12 months of his current deal.
Real Madrid are known to be admirers of Alexander-Arnold, while the 26-year-old also shares a good relationship with England teammate Jude Bellingham who joined the club last summer. The duo can be seen enjoying their time together during international breaks, having also gone on holiday together in the summer.
Former Liverpool player Jason McAteer believes the attraction of Real could very easily prise the right-back away from Anfield.
McAteer said: “Real Madrid changes the whole landscape for Trent as a person and as a sportsman. It opens his world up to different opportunities. It’s Real Madrid, it’s Spain, another language, another culture.
“He’s won everything at Liverpool. It’s not like he’ll look back at his career and wish he stayed back to win the league. Steven Gerrard did that. Steven’s objective in his sports career was to win the league at Liverpool. He almost did it, but it fell away at the end. Maybe if Liverpool had not won the league under Klopp, it might entice Trent to want to stay. I just think the chips are stacked against Trent staying at Liverpool right now.”
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McAteer feels Alexander-Arnold would slot in perfectly at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the average age of the current squad just 26 as they gear up to continue to dominate European football.
He said: “I just think the allure of Spain and Madrid and Carvajal being injured and coming to the end of his career, the space is there, isn’t it? I think Ancelotti will go at the end of the season. I think Xabi Alonso will slot in there. Why wouldn’t he want Trent? Tchouameni, Mbappe, Bellingham, Rodrigo, Vinicus Jr. You know, they’re all young players who can dominate world football over the next five years.”
Alexander-Arnold has been at Liverpool since the age of six though, coming through the ranks having made 319 appearances for his boyhood club, and saying goodbye could come as a very difficult task.
McAteer continued: “There’s other positives for him to stay. He’s a home-grown talent. He owes a bit to Liverpool. His mum’s a scouser and probably will tell him what to do. I’ve met her, she’s brilliant, I love her to bits and she’s a very strong character. There’s a lot of positive influence around Trent: Alex Inglethorpe, his mum, different players.”
Alexander-Arnold leaving the club on a free would certainly cause a huge uproar on Merseyside while a huge gap would need to be filled in Arne Slot’s squad.
