Trent Alexander-Arnold is off to Real Madrid. That’s the way it appears, in any case, and the Liverpool vice-captain is already having to face up to some heavy criticism.
More than anything, Liverpool fans have been left baffled by Alexander-Arnold, who has always proclaimed his love for the club, and his desire to one day become captain. He is throwing that all away, and it is difficult to understand.
It’s not even as though he is faced with the decision that Steven Gerrard once had to make, where it was increasingly apparent that Liverpool would struggle to routinely compete for the top honors. Arne Slot has picked up where Jurgen Klopp left off — and even played Real Madrid off the park earlier this season.
Funnily enough, that result was secured in Alexander-Arnold’s absence. Conor Bradley was immense, and the Northern Irishman gives Liverpool a strong reason for optimism.
But it would be churlish to downplay the significance of losing the number 66. He will be a big loss.
One theory behind his decision to leave is a personal ambition to win the Ballon d’Or. Alexander-Arnold admitted this was a goal of his last year.
But former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann has slammed this logic. He has warned Alexander-Arnold he will not win the individual award even at Real Madrid.
“I do not know how Trent Alexander-Arnold could win the Ballon d’Or as a right-back,” Hamann told Card Player. “Fabio Cannavaro won it as a defender but it’s near enough impossible.
(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“Joining Real Madrid won’t harm his chances, he’ll be competing to win the Champions League every year, the spotlight will be on him more. But if winning the Ballon d’Or is the reason that he wants to join Real Madrid, he should forget it and stay at Liverpool.”
This could even end up being a generous assessment. After all, if Real Madrid does well, the chances are that Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham will all be ahead of Alexander-Arnold in the pecking order for individual recognition.
Arguably, it’s actually more plausible that Alexander-Arnold could win the Ballon d’Or by staying at Liverpool. He is indsiputably among the most important players at Anfield, and an especially successful season would likely put him in the conversation.
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So if this is among Alexander-Arnold’s reasons for deciding to leave his boyhood club, then Hamann is right. The Ballon d’Or is a fickle award that favors forwards — moving to Real Madrid won’t help the right-back to win it, and he would be better off reassessing his goals.
You’d have to assume he has better reasons than that for leaving. But with everything still emerging through the press, fans are being left to speculate.
It’s time the Liverpool vice-captain fronts up and finally speaks out. He has been shirking the responsibilities of the position all season, no doubt with his move to Real Madrid in mind, and he owes supporters an explanation — one that might at least show his departure is not being driven by an ill-fated quest for the Ballon d’Or.
