Roy Keane shares Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid verdict amid Liverpool saga
Roy Keane believes Trent Alexander-Arnold will leave Liverpool for Real Madrid at the expiry of his contract at the end of the season.
The Reds vice-captain has entered the final 12 months of his Anfield contract with no talk of renewal, two months into the new season.
Keane discussed the contract situation at Liverpool alongside co-pundit Ian Wright live on ITV 1 [10 October, 7:31pm] ahead of Alexander-Arnold lining up for England in the UEFA Nations League against Greece.
He said: “He’s in control of all that. You’d like to think Liverpool are trying to get him on a contract, if not then he’ll certainly be leaving Liverpool [and] going abroad. And if Real Madrid’s an option then that’s a good option to have.”
Liverpool or Real Madrid for Trent Alexander-Arnold
The Reds are in a “catastrophic” situation with Alexander-Arnold. The thought of him leaving Anfield at the end of the season, on a free transfer is enough to turn any Liverpool fan’s stomach.
His situation, unlike the one facing Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, is more delicate. Michael Edwards is known for his stance on offering players over 30 huge contracts but the full-back is entering his prime years.
Alexander-Arnold has won the sport’s biggest honours for the Reds, but with Arsenal now emerging as genuine rivals alongside the dominance of Manchester City, he cannot be blamed for having his head turned at the prospect of becoming the latest Galactico.
For now, an approach from Real Madrid has yet to appear [Fabrizio Romano]. However, that will surely change should Carlo Ancelotti feel the full-back can be tempted to switch the Premier League for LaLiga.
While the scenario would be better than Alexander-Arnold remaining in the Premier League at a rival, the older generation of Reds knows exactly how it feels for a Scouser to leave Anfield for free just as Steve McManaman left for Madrid in 1999.
Richard Hughes must pull out all the stops to convince the full-back his long-term future remains at Liverpool under Arne Slot, but thwarting the advances of Real Madrid will be no easy feat.
It’s almost like the Reds should never have put themselves in this situation to begin with.
In other Liverpool news, Liverpool Women handed another blow as an injury update on Sofie Lundgaard emerges.
For more Liverpool news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.