Real Madrid‘s offer for Trent Alexander-Arnold has caused plenty of debate among Liverpool supporters, with some fans jumping to conclusions quicker than others.
Though this saga has been building for months, we could still only be in the opening stages of seeing how it all plays out.
After Madrid reportedly offered £20 million to sign Alexander-Arnold in January, most acknowledged the club’s stance of refusing to sell this month as genuine.
However, many have seen the offer as confirmation that the right-back has his sights set on a move to Spain.
Here, Sam Millne (@sam_millne), Patrick Allen (@P_Allen21) and Abigail Rudkin (@rudkin_abigail) discuss Madrid’s offer for Alexander-Arnold and what could happen next.
So, a reported £20 million offer to take Trent in January – what’s Madrid’s thinking there?
ABIGAIL: Madrid’s thinking around the offer could be to unsettle the fanbase and potentially turn people against him if they feel he wants the move.
Though they have got injuries, so it could just genuinely be an attempt to save their season and try to finish strong by strengthening in the January window.
If they feel as though Trent wants to go there soon anyway, though, maybe they think we would take the money now rather than nothing in the summer
PADDY: I think what Jamie Carragher said the other day rings true; there’s no bid if there’s no encouragement from Trent’s side, so it covers their backside if or when he does leave for nothing.
SAM: While Madrid would surely be happy to sign Alexander-Arnold at a cut-price fee now, I don’t expect they went to Liverpool with any real hope of taking him in this window.
What the offer possibly does, though, is give Trent an excuse in the summer if he leaves for free to say, ‘Well, Liverpool could have taken the money in January’.
Honestly, though, this all just feels like Madrid testing the water and making their intentions clear.
What would it take for you to consider a January transfer?
PADDY: I don’t think the club would consider a January sale, regardless of what’s on the table. Luckily they deal without emotion because I’d have taken it in a heartbeat.
ABIGAIL: I wouldn’t consider a January sale.
As good as Conor Bradley is, we need the strength and depth in the squad for a title race. We’re still in four competitions so we need enough players to fight on all fronts.
SAM: In all honesty, I wouldn’t consider a January sale unless the figure received was astronomical.
With the club in a healthy financial position as it is, I care far more about winning trophies, which we have a better chance of with Trent, than having to watch him leave for free in the summer.
However, just to play devil’s advocate, I suppose a quick exit in January would remove any potential problems that could arise as we reach the end of the season with the situation still not concluded.
What would your personal reaction be to him leaving?
ABIGAIL: I’d be gutted to see him go.
He’s been at the club since he was a young boy so to see him not want to stay loyal to us and end his career like Steven Gerrard is disappointing, but I understand if he wants a new challenge.
Plus he’s good friends with Jude Bellingham and might want to see what life in Spain is like! It’ll be a shame, however, and I don’t think the fans will remember him as fondly.
PADDY: I’ll be fuming to be honest, I can’t get my head around it.
To leave for nothing is bad enough, but to be effectively costing your ‘boyhood club’ millions, millions that’ll likely go into your own pocket, is baffling.
SAM: It would be disappointing to see him go but I don’t feel it would halt Liverpool’s progress significantly given the style of football Arne Slot plays.
While we can’t necessarily put all our eggs in the Bradley basket yet, his performances so far have made us all feel a lot more comfortable about the future at right-back.
Personally, I would understand the logic of a move to Spain for lifestyle reasons, but I can’t help but feel he could just go and live out there once he’s retired – he’s a millionaire already!
His leaving now would leave a bitter taste in the mouth given he would be departing his boyhood club at a time when they will (probably) be the best in the world.
What more could you want except warmer weather? It isn’t like he will be able to walk around Madrid without being recognised!
What is your gut instinct on how this all plays out?
ABIGAIl: My gut says he’s gone.
He’s not said half as much as Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk about wanting to stay a Liverpool player.
I think he’s driven by winning trophies and individual awards like the Ballon d’Or and Madrid seems like the place he can achieve more of those goals.
SAM: I think I’m right in saying I feel more optimistic about the situation than Abigail and Paddy!
While it does feel like he is leaning towards a move, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he still hasn’t made his mind up.
All three of Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold were always going to wait to see how this season played out. Now Trent knows we’re in safe hands, negotiations could become clearer.
PADDY: My instinct since the start has been that Virgil and Mo stay with Trent going. It’s just now that it’s a little more real that it’s starting to hit home a little bit.
How would we replace Trent if he does go?
PADDY: This might just be my copium but, similarly to Sam, I think Bradley is a better fit for what Slot wants from his full-backs.
It’s not like we’re in 2019 where our full-backs were our main source of creativity. I think the task is to grab a back-up to Bradley more than replace Trent.
ABIGAIL: You’ve got to give Bradley a chance. He’s been excellent and probably fits Slot’s style defensively more than Trent. I think we stick with Conor and see how it goes.
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