Potential Liverpool Dream of Trent Alexander-Arnold Amid Contract Concerns
Talk surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future at Liverpool made headlines this weekend after what the defender said – or rather didn’t say – after Saturday’s 3-0 win over Bournemouth. The 25-year-old, who as it stands will be free to walk away from Anfield as a free agent next summer, remained coy on his future at Anfield when speaking to the ECHO – and other members of the assembled media – after Luis Diaz’s brace and Darwin Nunez’s stunner saw the Reds returning to winning ways in the Premier League. But as has been the preference from Alexander-Arnold throughout the early stages of the season as speculation about his future cranks up, he refused to discuss the finer details of negotiations that will take place with Liverpool about extending his contract.
“I have always said I want to captain the club, that is an aim of mine and a goal of mine, (but) whether that happens is out of my hands,” said Alexander-Arnold on Saturday. “Look, I have been at the club 20 years now, I have signed four or five contract extensions and none of those have been played out in public. And this one won’t be either. “I want to be a Liverpool player this season (as a minimum) is what I will say.”
And with Alexander-Arnold remaining tight-lipped on where he could be playing his football this time next year, the ECHO has taken a look at what his latest comments could mean.
Contract Priority for Liverpool
Trent Alexander-Arnold remains Liverpool’s biggest contract concern, with his age and the fact he’s a homegrown player surely making him the priority even over players as good as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. Indeed, the idea Liverpool could allow a young Scouser to walk away for nothing seems unthinkable. The truth is, though, that Liverpool have been here before, with Steve McManaman leaving for Real Madrid in 1999 after his contract expired and Michael Owen departing for a paltry £8m for the same club after refusing to sign a new deal in 2004. So you can forgive the nervousness among the fanbase surrounding Alexander-Arnold’s future, with the clock ticking before he is able to agree pre-contracts with rival clubs in the new year.
And so what do his latest comments mean for his future? The truth is, despite everyone trying to read between the lines of everything said, it’s hard to say. He clearly loves the club, though, and his ambition to captain Liverpool could hand the Reds an opportunity. Could they repeat the Sami Hyypia/Steven Gerrard play from 2003? Whether Van Dijk, with his own deal expiring, would step aside in the same way as the Finn is hard to say but should he allow for Alexander-Arnold to fulfil his dream, that could perhaps trump any wage offered.
Speculation and Uncertainty
Speculation surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future at Liverpool is here to stay. It is no wonder, then, that supporters are clinging on to anything new he says between now and the end of the season. The fact that Alexander-Arnold can negotiate a pre-contract agreement with clubs from the start of 2025 will only add to the worry of supporters, who will be fearful that the pull of Real Madrid could be too much for Alexander-Arnold to resist. From Alexander-Arnold’s point of view though, he is well within his rights to bide his time ahead of signing arguably the most important contract of his career. And with a new regime in place at Anfield since Jurgen Klopp’s departure, the England international is well within his rights to assess the early days of the Arne Slot reign.
As Alexander-Arnold alluded to on Saturday, he wants to challenge for the biggest trophies in the game and if the early days of the Slot era are anything to go by then it should make for a promising season for both Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool. That, however, isn’t to say supporters won’t have to sweat a bit more before his future is decided.
Negotiations and Decision-Making
Of the three big-name players Liverpool currently have in danger of running down their contracts, Trent Alexander-Arnold is undoubtedly the most in-demand. At 25 he is effectively in his prime and the allure of a lucrative move to Real Madrid is a real issue for the Reds. Los Blancos normally get their man so if that is not to be the case on this occasion any Anfield contract extension is going to have to be substantial. Alexander-Arnold may be Liverpool born and bred, with well-known ambitions to become the club’s captain, but football is big business these days and sworn loyalty is not a given. Do not think for a moment that he wouldn’t be just as comfortable clapping the fans of the Bernabeu before taking a corner as he does the Kop.
The England international’s willingness to share a bit of insight on his relationship with Arne Slot and noise around his future this week is surely not without purpose. It would appear that he is happy for Slot to be a stern task-master and now he wants the club’s top brass to reward him for his efforts. Right now I think it would be more likely that he does remain a Liverpool player heading into next season, but if his employers drag their heels on a serious offer you can bet your life a decision will have been made internally before Christmas.
Cynically speaking, you would have thought that Trent Alexander-Arnold is putting the ball firmly in the court of the Liverpool hierarchy. ‘I know how much I’m worth and what I want to achieve, your move’. And with the quality that he has displayed this season and in the years previous, you can’t disagree that he does deserve to be held in the highest esteem at Anfield. It’s suggested that of the three aforementioned players who are set to become free agents in the summer, the Liverpool full-back is most likely to pen new terms. While he doesn’t want the saga to play out before the public, the longer it drags on, the more scrutiny he will come under. Clubs will be watching on with interest, especially Real Madrid as they look to make Jude Bellingham his clubmate as well as international teammate.
Liverpool will face pressure to tie Alexander-Arnold down and at 25, they would be keeping him for some of his prime years. As a player with such importance to, not only the club but the style of play, the Reds have to show intent to spare unrest amongst the supporters. Alexander-Arnold is following the lead set by Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah so far this season. The pair have both said a lot and not very much at the time about their future, and puts the ball firmly in Liverpool’s court. As a local boy there is no reason for this deal not to get over the line but it won’t benefit anyone, especially not Slot, if the issue drags on. Come January and speculation over a possible exit will only rise. Alexander-Arnold is clearly too good to think about selling, let alone seeing him go for free, so the seeming lack of urgency over this is quite jarring. There will be teams across Europe who are licking their lips at the prospect of taking advantage of this situation. Liverpool can’t let it get that far.
