Trent Alexander-Arnold is being pressured to seek a swifter Liverpool departure after he faced the wrath of his own fans.
The 26-year-old was the target of boos from significant quarters of Anfield during Liverpool’s stalemate with Arsenal, which left many supporters disgruntled. The revelation of Alexander-Arnold’s intention to leave the Reds when his contract runs out this summer has only added fuel to the fire amongst fans.
His expected move to Spanish team Real Madrid is yet to be officially announced, causing further unrest, with Jeremie Frimpong tipped to be his replacement. Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher has shown some understanding toward the fanbase’s disappointment
But Ben Foster, a former United and Wrexham shot-stopper, has condemned the fans’ reactions, calling them “fickle” for sidelining Trent’s considerable impact on Liverpool’s recent achievements.
Now, Foster has suggested that Alexander-Arnold should no longer don the Liverpool shirt, criticizing the treatment he received as appalling – sentiments he shared on his ‘Fozcast’ podcast. He said: “You will walk alone if you’re Trent Alexander-Arnold, because he got booed and it was horrible.
“It’s so hard if you are a Liverpool born and bred player and you make it to the first team and this level of stardom and success. If you’re that homegrown player, there’s nothing you can do.
(Image: YouTube/Fozcast – The Ben Foster Podcast)
“You have to stay there, you have to play and you have to sign a new contract. It’s fickle fans. Honestly, you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t.
“I really feel for Trent because he’d have gone to bed and he’d have been thinking, ‘I’ve given this club 20 years, 90-odd assists, 25-odd goals, and this is how they treat me.’
“Real want to sign him before the Club World Cup in the summer and it’s looking like they might have to pay one or two million euros [to sign him early]. But if I’m Trent, I’m going in and saying, ‘Get me done. I’m not playing in front of that again.'”
Foster added: “I didn’t enjoy it yesterday, I really didn’t. I think from the season that they’ve had, it should have been nothing but good vibes.”
Alexander-Arnold, who has made 353 appearances for Liverpool, securing two Premier League titles and a Champions League crown, has been reassured of his place by coach Arne Slot despite negative sentiments from some quarters.
Slot expressed his concern for Alexander-Arnold after Sunday’s match but remained focused on the team’s title celebration plans, affirming that the player will indeed feature in the upcoming substantial fixtures against Brighton and Crystal Palace.
Slot said: “I don’t think there’s any possibility whatever can happen that can take the edge off us winning this 20th league title. The thing I consider is that I want to win a game of football and if we think we can win with Trent, I owe it to his teammates and to the fans, because they hired me to win as many games of football as possible.
“And if I think there’s a better chance of winning with Trent, then I will [pick him]. If I think it’s a distraction or whatever can happen for us not to play a good game of football, then I might make another decision.
“But I think Trent showed today why I brought him in, because he was very close with a few fantastic crosses for us to win the game.”
