Alexander-arnold Leaves As Modern Liverpool Great - But Fans Will Feel Hurt

Trent Alexander-Arnold's announcement that he is leaving Liverpool astatine nan extremity of nan play confirmed what had seemed an inevitability for months.

And moreover though his adjacent destination was not mentioned successful his affectional farewell video, it is an unfastened concealed that he will subordinate his friend and England workfellow Jude Bellingham astatine Real Madrid.

Alexander-Arnold deserves in installments for clarifying his early now. He could person taken nan easy measurement retired and near Liverpool supporters hanging until aft nan Premier League title triumph parade astir nan metropolis connected 26 May.

Instead, nan 26-year-old has made his determination nationalist pinch 2 location games near - nan first against Arsenal, and nan 2nd connected nan last time against Crystal Palace, erstwhile Liverpool will assistance nan trophy to observe their 20th English convention title.

It will time off him astatine nan mercies of galore Liverpool supporters who are baffled that nan subordinate they observe successful opus arsenic "the Scouser successful our team" has decided to time off his boyhood nine connected a free transfer.

Alexander-Arnold's ceremony of his precocious victor astatine Leicester City successful April, erstwhile he ripped disconnected his reddish garment and hoisted it connected a area emblem successful beforehand of Liverpool's supporters astatine nan King Power Stadium, prompted faint dream that he mightiness find it intolerable to time off nan nine he has called location for 20 years.

The truth deed location erstwhile he erstwhile much refused to talk his early during nan celebrations of that win.

He was leaving Liverpool and nary magnitude of affectional propulsion connected nan heartstrings would alteration his mind.

Those emotions will beryllium mixed successful nan stands and connected nan transportation erstwhile Alexander-Arnold plays his last crippled astatine Anfield connected 25 May – but his leaving arsenic a title victor mightiness conscionable easiness nan disappointment, and successful immoderate cases anger and bemusement, that galore Liverpool followers will beryllium feeling.

Liverpool's fans person besides person besides been questioning nan timing of Alexander-Arnold's decision.

He leaves pinch Liverpool connected a title precocious and good placed to situation for nan biggest home and European trophies for years to come, while Real Madrid looked for illustration a squad successful request of renewal erstwhile they were thrashed 5-1 by Arsenal complete 2 legs successful nan Champions League quarter-final.

It will besides beryllium a clip of churn disconnected nan transportation astatine nan Bernabeu, pinch legendary coach Carlo Ancelotti expected to time off astatine nan extremity of nan season.

Why time off nan stableness and occurrence of Liverpool for a clip of modulation astatine Real Madrid?

The reply is simple. The lure of Real Madrid is almost ever irresistible.

In 2023, Bellingham was being courted by each awesome nine successful Europe earlier deciding connected Real. As he put it astatine nan time: "When Real Madrid sound connected nan door, nan full location shakes."

The biggest parameter arsenic to wherever Alexander-Arnold's early laic came erstwhile Real Madrid lodged a £20m bid successful nan January transportation window.

Those pinch agelong knowledge of Real's transportation strategy were assured they would not make specified a move, pinch its likelihood of rejection, without being assured a free transportation would beryllium completed successful nan summer.

Liverpool did move nan connection down, not only wanting to support Alexander-Arnold but besides hoping to bargain clip for a alteration of heart. Two months later, he met caput coach Arne Slot to pass him he would not beryllium signing a caller contract.

While location was ever a quiet assurance down nan scenes astatine Anfield that Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk would motion caller deals, location was ne'er nan aforesaid consciousness of assurance astir Alexander-Arnold.

This has been, astatine times, a difficult play for Alexander-Arnold pinch injuries and nan changeless speculation - and latterly presumption - that he was connected his measurement out.

It each seemed to travel to caput successful nan 2-2 tie against Manchester United astatine Anfield successful January.

After Real Madrid's bid became nationalist knowledge, Alexander-Arnold delivered a nightmare performance successful what looked for illustration a fog of confusion, playing a mediocre walk that led to Lisandro Martinez's extremity for United earlier getting caught retired severely for Amad Diallo's precocious equaliser.

He was past fixed a yellowish paper and replaced by Conor Bradley pinch 4 minutes left, having looked mislaid and distracted throughout, while abruptly emotion nan sound of Anfield's vexation aimed successful his direction.

It is often whistling successful nan upwind to inquire fans who consciousness betrayed, arsenic immoderate Liverpool supporters will, to retrieve nan bully times. But successful this lawsuit it tin beryllium justified.

Alexander-Arnold has played a pivotal successful nan bully times Liverpool's world fanbase person basked in, first nether Jurgen Klopp past successful a singular first title-winning play nether Slot.

He has made 352 appearances since making his debut successful 2016, scoring 23 goals and claiming each of nan game's awesome prizes. In that time, Liverpool person won 234 of those games.

Alexander-Arnold was integral erstwhile Liverpool won their first title successful 30 years pinch Klopp astatine nan helm successful 2019-20, having won nan Champions League nan twelvemonth earlier by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 successful nan last successful Madrid.

He now has 2 Premier League titles to his name, on pinch nan FA Cup and 2 League Cups, arsenic good arsenic nan Fifa Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup.

For each nan statement astir Alexander-Arnold's protect flaws, these were outweighed by nan imaginative brilliance and stunning scope of passing that ever gave Liverpool an other dimension. This is proved by his complaint of providing 86 assists successful his Anfield career.

Alexander-Arnold will beryllium remembered arsenic nan section boy who became a modern Liverpool greats. Now he must hold to spot if this is afloat acknowledged by nan supporters who adored him arsenic 1 of their ain wearing nan reddish shirt.