Gary Lineker ‘advises’ Liverpool star to leave Anfield and join La Liga giants Barcelona

Gary Lineker has told Trent Alexander-Arnold to leave Liverpool and join his former club Barcelona, according to reports.

The Reds have made a great start to the new Premier League season with seven wins from their opening eight Premier League fixtures.

Arne Slot could not have wished for a better start in his first season, after succeeding Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager, with the Merseysiders currently top of the Premier League.

Alexander-Arnold has contributed two assists in ten matches in all competitions with the England international part of a back four which have only conceded three goals in the Premier League all season.

The Liverpool defender is one of three top Reds stars out of contract at the end of the current season with Mohamed Salah and captain Virgil van Dijk in the same position.

Van Dijk revealed on Monday that he is in “discussions with the right people” over a new contract at Anfield but Alexander-Arnold’s situation seems less clear.

The most recent speculation seems to indicate that he will leave Liverpool amid interest from La Liga giants Real Madrid with claims earlier on Tuesday that there is a ‘very strong possibility’ he could leave for the La Liga side in January.

And now reports in Spain have claimed that Alexander-Arnold ‘is in the crosshairs of a long list of clubs’ and has so far ‘rejected all the offers that have been presented to him’ by Liverpool.

Real Madrid are ‘looking for a reliable successor to Dani Carvajal’ while Catalan giants Barcelona ‘want to take advantage of the opportunity to sign the English star at zero cost’.

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And former Barcelona striker Lineker has apparently ‘not hesitated to advise Alexander-Arnold to land at the Camp Nou’ with the England legend believing ‘that Hans-Dieter Flick’s project is much more interesting, even though he could be paid more money at the Santiago Bernabeu.’

Former Reds striker Emile Heskey is convinced that Alexander-Arnold will still sign a new contract at Anfield as he “knows that he can fulfil all of his ambitions as a player at Liverpool”.

Heskey told 10bet: “I think that Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk should all be offered new deals. I’d expect Trent to sign a new one.

“Being a local lad, knowing what it means to play for the club and lift major trophies for the club that you’ve come up through the youth ranks for, that is a pretty powerful thing for a footballer. Trent has won it all with his boyhood club.

“He knows that he can fulfil all of his ambitions as a player at Liverpool – I hope that he continues his Liverpool fairytale, and I think that he will by signing a new contract. With Mo Salah, I think it all depends on what type of contract he’s looking for. Whatever his demands are, I’m guessing that they can be facilitated.

“The reality is, if Liverpool wanted to move him on or were happy to move him on, they would have sold him last season when they had absolutely massive offers for him from Saudi Arabia.

“I think there is a deal that can be structured for Salah that everyone can be happy with. I feel the same way about Virgil van Dijk. Both players seem to be very happy at the club and with the direction that everything is moving in. I think it’s just a matter of time before they all sign new deals.”