Liverpool looks as though it will be bidding farewell to Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer – and with him goes the opportunity for the club to make some serious money.
A move to Real Madrid looks as though it is inevitable for Alexander-Arnold now, with the speculation coming to a head on Tuesday as various outlets reported that a deal has been finalized. There is still no confirmation from either Liverpool or Real, although it looks as though it could just be a matter of time.
Alexander-Arnold has of course been free to speak to foreign clubs since January, and with his contract expiring in the summer, he looks set to leave Anfield for nothing. Liverpool will be eager to not see Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah go the same way.
The impending departure of Alexander-Arnold has not gone down well with Reds fans, not least because leaving as a free agent means his boyhood club will be deprived of a fee that could have helped during what is set to be a busy summer transfer window for Arne Slot, even before Van Dijk and Salah’s potential departures are taken into account.
According to Transfermarkt, the right-back is currently valued at €75 million ($81M), which would have been a more than handy amount for Liverpool to put toward new signings. What’s more, had Alexander-Arnold decided on a move to the Bernabeu earlier, the Reds could have raked in even more money.
Back in the summer of 2022, the academy graduate was valued at $87M, while his peak value was in 2020, when he was worth $119M. Even just a year later, he was still valued at $108M.
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Liverpool missing out on a fee for Alexander-Arnold is not something that has gone unnoticed by fans. Having come through the academy at Anfield, his sale would have gone down as pure profit for the club – a factor that has become even more important now that the Premier League is enforcing its Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Discussing Alexander-Arnold’s departure back in December, Jamie Carragher said in his column for The Telegraph: “That is the biggest issue for Trent – the free transfer.
“As with [Steve McManaman], the supporters will feel that the club are losing an £80 million player for nothing, and they will not like it. My advice to Trent would be to sign a new deal, with a reasonable buyout clause, that will give the club some value if Real or anyone else decide to meet it.”
