credit: Imago and Common Sense with Joey Barton

Max Wilkins

Thu 8 May 2025 12:59, UK

Joey Barton has reacted to the treatment of Trent Alexander-Arnold since his Liverpool departure was confirmed.

The England international revealed earlier this week that he would be leaving Anfield on a free transfer at the end of the season.

This looks likely to see the 26-year-old complete a summer switch to Real Madrid, with supporters left far from impressed with the homegrown star.

Some wild reactions have been shared by fans on Merseyside after the confirmation of Alexander-Arnold’s exit, with Barton echoing many of them.

Barton reacts to Alexander-Arnold treatment at Liverpool

It is fair to say that many supporters have reacted in a crazy fashion since the defender shared his desire to move on from L4 in the summer.

This was met with a subdued reaction from Liverpool, which was very matter-of-fact and didn’t wish the Englishman well.

This came as a surprise given the reaction shared for the likes of Sadio Mane when his departure from Anfield was confirmed in 2022.

It is a surprise that this same courtesy wasn’t afforded to Alexander-Arnold, despite there being three games until his likely Real Madrid move.

Former Manchester City midfielder Barton, speaking on the Common Sense podcast (7 May), believes this comes down to the Reds looking to set a president at Anfield moving forward.

He said: “They haven’t got a fee for him and it’s a wrong message to send, because you encourage what you tolerate. If you give Trent [Alexander-Arnold] a big send-off, what stops the next player walking out for nothing, so you actually want to actively discourage rather than encourage people to leave your club.

“Then you go, ‘If you leave on good terms and we get a fee for you, then you get treated well, but if you don’t, you get treated like a dog.”

Alexander-Arnold deserves respect at Liverpool

After the season that Arne Slot and Co. have had, the positivity around the red side of Merseyside should be sizable right now.

That isn’t necessarily the case, thanks to the departure of Alexander-Arnold, which has left a sour taste in the mouth of supporters.

Given the years of service the right-back has handed his side, there should be more of a receptive atmosphere surrounding him, especially with everything he’s won.

That doesn’t look likely to change any time soon, as fans now await the progress of Conor Bradley next season in L4.

It will certainly be interesting to see with the growth of the Northern Ireland international, how the opinion of the local lad changes in the coming seasons.