The forward-thinking full-back's imminent move to Spain should be celebrated – it shows how far English football has come
So the worst kept secret in football is out: Trent Alexander-Arnold is going to Real Madrid. It is not official yet but there is no going back after the Liverpool right-back agreed a five-year deal with Los Blancos, which will become a reality when his contract with the Reds expires at the end of June.
It has been a long-time coming, with Madrid making their intentions clear at the start of the year when they made a half-hearted bid to prise the 26-year-old from Liverpool in the January transfer window. And according to , the player decided as early as 2023 – shortly after his best friend Jude Bellingham had moved to Los Blancos – that his time at Liverpool had come to an end.
There has been a furious reaction among many Liverpool supporters, with one fan filming himself burning his Alexander-Arnold shirt and others calling for the player to be left out of the team for the remainder of the season. Then there have been more nuanced takes, acknowledging the obvious lure of the Santiago Bernabeu while expressing disappointment that Alexander-Arnold does not want to spend his entire career at Liverpool and try and help make them the second biggest force in Europe behind Madrid.
But both conclusions are ultimately wrong. Real Madrid has and always will be the ultimate destination for any footballer, except perhaps those who grew up supporting Barcelona. And the fact that Europe's most successful club want to sign Alexander-Arnold should be celebrated…
Getty Carragher's disappointment
This transfer saga has occupied Jamie Carragher's thoughts for a long time. And after previously making the questionable suggestion that Alexander-Arnold renew his Liverpool contract purely to ensure that his boyhood club received a transfer fee, Carragher accepted the nature of his departure. However, he was still left disappointed with the ultimate outcome.
"Where I’m at is that, as a local player and a Liverpool fan, Liverpool are in a position where they’re competing for the league and a European Cup every year. So, if you’re a Liverpool fan and a local player, I’m just disappointed that he doesn’t think that this is it," Carragher said on the podcast, brought to you by . "I’m putting myself in his position, where I’d be thinking that we could go level with Manchester United in league trophies, I’ve got another seven or eight years at Liverpool and want to get three or four ahead of them, with a couple more European Cups.
"We always talk about rivalries and never think of it as European. In some ways, Real Madrid is a rival, and no one will catch them – they are the biggest and most famous team- but I’m desperate for Liverpool to get second on that list – AC Milan are on seven [European Cup wins]. If I was him, I’d be thinking that we’ve got a great opportunity to win the league this year and could do this and that and at the end of his time, put Liverpool in a position [to top others]."
AdvertisementGettyLiverpool dynasty no guarantee
But Carragher is being a little naïve about Liverpool's current position. Yes, the Reds are on course to win a record-equalling 20th English league title and were only a penalty shootout away from reaching the Champions League quarter-finals. But no one expected them to have the season they are having when Arne Slot succeeded Jurgen Klopp and there is no guarantee that they will build another dynasty in the coming seasons.
Their incredible season has been built on the backs of three players in particular: Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai, two of whom could follow Alexander-Arnold out the door this summer when their contracts are up. Indeed, Carragher has claimed that there are four or five players Slot doesn't truly rate in his squad and believes the Dutchman has a big rebuilding job on his hands in the summer.
The fragility of Liverpool's long-term project was laid bare by their one-sided defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final. And let's not forget that their usual rivals have had disappointing seasons. Manchester City will surely be back next term after their dismal campaign and Arsenal are not going anywhere. Alexander-Arnold could have signed a long-term deal at Anfield only to be left disappointed.
AFPGuaranteed success
The full-back has already had an incredible time with Liverpool, being a crucial part of the team that won the Champions League in 2019 and the club's first league title in 30 years in 2020, in addition to lifting the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup. Alexander-Arnold also played in two other Champions League finals, and the fact his side lost both of them to Real Madrid will not have been lost on him. Nor will the fact the Reds were knocked out of the competition by the Spanish giants in 2021 and 2023. Effectively, four of his seven Champions League campaigns with Liverpool have ended in defeat to Los Blancos.
So Alexander-Arnold knows better than anyone that going to Madrid will practically guarantee him winning the best trophies. Los Blancos have won six of the last 11 editions of the Champions League and lifted four La Liga titles in the same period, while Liverpool have won one league title and one Champions League crown.
It is not just trophies that Alexander-Arnold can look forward to at Madrid. He will be playing at the finest stadium in football, the renovated Santiago Bernabeu, and attract more eyeballs than at Liverpool as Los Blancos are regarded as the most popular team in the world, with the highest number of followers on the major social media platforms.
He will be able to count upon Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Thibaut Courtois as team-mates, as well as his dear friend Bellingham. Madrid's financial power, which has only been strengthened by the revenue opportunities from the upgraded Bernabeu, also means that they will continue to attract the best players around. And while Barcelona might be having a resurgence this season, the Catalan giants have deep financial problems, meaning Madrid are likely to be far more financially secure in the long run.
GettyBallon d'Or boost
Alexander-Arnold is also more likely to be able to win the Ballon d'Or by moving to Madrid. Los Blancos boast eight winners of the most prestigious individual prize in football, more than any other club, with a total of 12 triumphs.
The player has made no secret of his desire to earn the historic prize. He told last year: "I want to be the first full-back to ever do it. It's only the morning after you retire that you're able to look in the mirror and say, 'I gave it everything I got'. It doesn't matter how many trophies you win, or how many medals you've got. It matters what you give to the game and if you reach your full potential."
Alexander-Arnold also stated in that same interview that he did not just want to be remembered as a successful player who won lots of medals. "A legend of football, someone who changed the game," he said. That is the main thing that I have – 'don't play the game; change the game'. I want that legacy of being the greatest right-back to have played football. I have got to reach for the stars and that's where I believe my ceiling can go."
Those comments were ridiculed at the time and after news of his move to Madrid broke, some Liverpool fans online mocked the fact he had said he wanted to win the Ballon d'Or over the World Cup. But his ambition should really be applauded. English players have often been criticised for their parochial attitudes but Alexander-Arnold, like Bellingham, is part of an outward-looking new generation that sees the benefits of playing abroad.
While Liverpool fans will not like to admit it, the truth is that he is much more likely to have a bigger impact at Real Madrid than by staying on Merseyside. Playing with the very best players in the world will challenge him to raise his game even further. The fact he is likely to be fighting for the Champions League and Spanish title every season will also make him a better player.
