Liverpool legend John Aldridge says he can understand why Reds fans have reacted with anger and disappointment at the news Trent Alexander-Arnold is likely to be heading to Real Madrid this summer — but a mistake was made in not tying him down earlier.
Last week, it emerged that Los Blancos were confident of signing Alexander-Arnold when his Liverpool contract expires. Nothing is completed yet but the expectation is that the Reds’ vice-captain will be heading for the exit door.
“Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool was always going to come out, the timing was never going to be perfect,” Aldridge wrote in his Liverpool ECHO column. “Supporters want him to stay but it is what it is.
“They must have expected repercussions, Trent and the people behind him. It’s understandable there has been a backlash. I just hope it doesn’t creep into the dressing room.
“[I hope it doesn’t impact] the players and knock them off their focus when there is still a league title to be won. It was always going to happen, you just have to prepare yourself as a fan. It is what it is, we move on.”
Aldridge also feels that Liverpool should have sold Alexander-Arnold in January when Real Madrid tried to bring the deal forward. However, there was no way the Anfield side could have known that he would pick up a couple of injuries.
“The football club has let him get into this position by not tying him down at a young age when he was 24 or 25,” Aldridge continued. “Is it neglect? Have they neglected that contract and now his head has been tempted by someone else?
“It just doesn’t make sense to let young players’ contracts whittle out. And Ibrahima Konate is the next one. They have to be attended, you can’t keep letting these players walk away for nothing.
“I can understand them not accepting £20 million ($25 million) for Trent in January because we needed him to help us go and get the league.
“But having said that now, he might be out for the majority of the rest of the season. Hindsight is a great thing. Now you look at it and think selling him in January would have been the better option.”
Liverpool.com says: Losing Alexander-Arnold in the winter window would have been ludicrous. Signing a replacement then would have been almost impossible and there was no guarantee that he was heading for Spain on a free at that point.
As a unique talent, finding a replacement for Alexander-Arnold will be very tough. Liverpool will need to find someone, though, and it is likely going to be a very different kind of full-back given there is no one like the number 66.
