Jamie Carragher has already warned Trent Alexander-Arnold of the potential consequences of leaving boyhood club Liverpool to join Real Madrid on a free transfer – and it makes for interesting reading.
It was widely reported on Tuesday that Real Madrid are working towards completing a transfer for Alexander Arnold.
In fact, the 26-year-old has agreed personal terms with Los Blancos over a five-year deal worth in excess of £220,000-per-week, according to talkSPORT, who suggest the defender has been discussions with Real since January.
If he does join fellow England international Jude Bellingham at the Bernabeu this summer, then Alexander-Arnold will end a 20-year association with his boyhood club.
Writing in his column for the Telegraph in December, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher sent a warning to the player. “As a local lad, you are always treated differently if you leave Anfield.
After asking how much he values his legacy as a so-called Liverpool great, Carragher also questioned how the full-back wants to be remembered before bringing some of his former teammates into the spotlight.
“If you wanted to break it down to its essential question, you might say: does Trent want to be Steven Gerrard or Steve McManaman?” he began.
“It was not so much Macca’s departure that damaged his legacy at Liverpool as the fact that the club earned no fee on a player who had for years been one of the Premier League’s best attacking midfielders.
“When he comes back to Anfield now as a fan or a pundit, he does not get the love from the Liverpool fans that is shown towards our team-mate Robbie Fowler.
“That might be the emotion and the irrationality of Liverpool fans, but it is all worth considering for Trent.”
Carragher continued: “On the other hand, he could go to Real on the kind of huge wages that free-agency players can command and win Champions League and La Liga titles there.
“That too will sound pretty good for a footballer – but it is then what comes next. It is a long life after you finish playing. How people treat you in the city from which you come makes a big difference. And fans do not care that you made millions more. For them, that salary is irrelevant.”
The former defender, who now works as a pundit for the likes of Sky Sports and CBS, would then mention Steven Gerrard and how close he came to leaving Liverpool.
Jose Mourinho made multiple attempts to sign the midfielder during managerial spells at Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, but they never materialised, with Gerrard intent on staying at Anfield.
“On top of that, as a local lad, you are always treated differently. We saw it with Steven Gerrard. Even contemplating leaving for Chelsea on two occasions in his career temporarily damaged his relationship with Liverpool fans. Was it fair? It was simply the reality with a passionate, tribal fanbase.”
Carragher would go on to mention Michael Owen, who had one year left on his contract at Liverpool when he joined Real Madrid in 2004.
The former defender claimed the terms of Owen’s departure to Real “did not help” when it came to his legacy.
“That is the biggest issue for Trent – the free transfer,” Carragher added. “As with Macca, the supporters will feel that the club are losing an £80 million player for nothing, and they will not like it.
“My advice to Trent would be to sign a new deal, with a reasonable buyout clause, that will give the club some value if Real or anyone else decide to meet it.
“The fans’ attitude towards Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, both also out of contract in the summer, is not the same as it is for Trent. There are lots of reasons for that but a big part of that is the local-boy factor.
“The feeling is that playing for Liverpool should be the ultimate ambition for a Liverpool lad. It was that way for Macca, Michael, Stevie and myself and it will be the same for Trent and Curtis Jones.”
After joining Liverpool’s academy in 2004 at the age of six, Trent captained the club across its youth levels before making his senior debut in 2016. He has gone on to make over 350 appearances for the club.
Thoughts on his potential departure? Let us know in the comments.
