Trent Alexander-Arnold to leave after 'Liverpool dropped the ball'

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Liverpool have been criticised for their management of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract situation after the news that he is in line to leave the club..

Alexander-Arnold has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid in the summer, when his contract at Anfield is due to expire.

It has now been reported by talkSPORT that the La Liga giants have agreed a deal to sign the right-back on a free transfer in the summer.

Unsurprisingly, that has not gone down well with Liverpool fans, many of whom are unhappy about the way that Alexander-Arnold, as one of their own has gone about this deal.

Stan Collymore however, feels as though supporters ought to be directing more of their ire at those running the club, than the player himself.

Stan Collymore assesses Trent Alexander Arnold to Real Madrid

Speaking live on talkSPORT about the decision of Alexander-Arnold to leave Merseyside for a move to the Spanish capital, Collymore gave an impassioned defence of the 26-year-old.

The former Liverpool attacker described the situation as a “two-way street”, suggesting the club would have been happy to “biff him off” had he suffered an injury that had limited his game time and influence.

As a result, he feels that there should be no obligation on the player to show the loyalty he might receive if the situation was the other way around.

He also noted with Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League and plenty more medals under his belt, Alexander-Arnold has won everything he could with the Reds.

Collymore therefore feels that helping Real Madrid win La Liga and the Champions League could be more appealing to Alexander-Arnold than continuously winning the same league and European titles again with Liverpool.

The former forward also suggested this move gives the player the chance to play for “arguably the world’s biggest football club at his peak”.

There was also a suggestion that Alexander-Arnold has “looked after” the club with his performances, as much as they have looked after him.

As Collymore was then asked if Liverpool fans should be more upset with the club for letting it get to the stage where Alexander-Arnold will leave on a free, the ex-England international replied: “I think so.

“I think football clubs now have huge recruitment departments and they would’ve looked at the situation and… they could have given him a much longer contract which would have insulated them.

“We’ve seen it so many players that you know that they’re on the radar of several other clubs, so just before that interest comes in a firm bid, they give the player a new contract.

“We know he’s not going to stay for three or four years, we’re not stupid. We just know that it’s to insulate and to be able to protect the club.

“So yes, from a business perspective, Liverpool have dropped the ball on this Trent Alexander-Arnold thing.”

Liverpool contract situation causes even greater concern

Football Insider Verdict

There will undoubtedly be disappointment around Anfield about the growing inevitably the club are set to lose a key player for free in the summer.

However it is worth noting that Alexander-Arnold has not always produced his best performances for Liverpool this season.

In that respect, they may feel this will not be as big a loss as some of the other potential departures they are facing once the campaign is over.

Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk see plenty of speculation around their Liverpool futures as well, with their contracts also set to expire in the summer.

Both have been vital to the success of Arne Slot’s side this season, and so would be major losses if they were to depart on free transfers before the 2025/26 season.

The fact that Liverpool have not been able to resolve Alexander-Arnold’s contract situation, may also add to the fears about whether they will be able to keep hold of Salah and Van Dijk going forward as well.

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