Darren Bent has criticized Jamie Carragher for questioning Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s motives over wanting to leave Liverpool to join Real Madrid.
It was widely reported earlier this week that Alexander-Arnold will quit Liverpool to become a Madrid player when his contract expires at the end of the season. Madrid has been tracking Alexander-Arnold’s situation for two years and will pay the Liverpudlian an eight-figure signing-on fee on top of his $280,000 weekly wage.
Most soccer players would find it hard to turn Madrid down but the Liverpool right-back has faced criticism for the decision, and Carragher — while he said he wished Alexander-Arnold well in Madrid — questioned why he wants to leave.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Stick to Football podcast, he said: “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.
“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.”
Bent, though, feels as though Alexander-Arnold needs support from ex-players like Carragher amid the criticism he is coming in for from some quarters, and also does not think the chance to take Liverpool ahead of Manchester United on league titles will have factored into his thinking.
“I mean that from Jamie Carragher. I just can’t see Trent thinking about that,” Bent said on talkSPORT. “I know what he’s saying there. If you’re homegrown, you’re a Scouse lad, Liverpool’s been your club, you’ve got the chance to go past Man United in terms of league titles.
(Image: 2025 James Gill – Danehouse)
“I don’t think, certainly modern day footballers, are thinking about that. We’ve all caused this kind of problem where it’s almost like football only existed since the Premier League started. So Trent’s not going to be thinking, ‘well, we’ve got the same league titles’. He’s not thinking that at all whatsoever. He’s just thinking about the Premier League only because a lot of us younger generation do.
“It’s a little bit naughty (from Carragher) because I just think that you could understand that you’re from the city, you’re a big personality in that city, you’ve done great things for that city as well. And you know the amount of noise that’s around Trent and the pictures we’re seeing people burning Trent jerseys. So he’s probably finding it really difficult. You need people in your corner.”
