Liverpool academy product Trent Alexander-Arnold has entered the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield, and former Reds midfielder Graeme Souness thinks he noticed a touch within the saga.
The once-moustachioed Scot turned out 358 occasions for the Merseyside membership, earlier than presiding over a much less profitable stint as supervisor. Nonetheless, he is aware of how issues work in that a part of city.
Alexander-Arnold has turn out to be a part of the furnishings at Liverpool, breaking out of the youth setup as a youngster and by no means trying again. Reds lovingly discuss with him as ‘the Scouser in our workforce’ of their chants, however that chapter may quickly be closing along with his 2021 renewal expiring subsequent summer season.
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Souness believes he noticed the path of journey in a call made by new boss Arne Slot in his aspect’s resounding 3-0 win over Manchester United at Outdated Trafford.
Three objectives to the nice with 76 minutes on the clock on the Theatre of Desires, the Dutch coach determined to withdraw the right-back, together with Diogo Jota , and introduce Conor Bradley and Darwin Nunez of their place.
“I don’t see any apparent motive to take Trent off towards Manchester United, apart from they know he’s leaving,” Souness mentioned, talking on William Hill ’s podcast, Three Up Entrance .
Former Liverpool man and present pundit Graeme Souness thinks an Arne Slot resolution towards Manchester United might be a nasty omen (Picture credit score: Greig Cowie/Sportsphoto/Allstar through Getty Photos) (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
“They’d nonetheless need to preserve him on aspect for the remainder of the season and he’ll go totally free on the finish of it. The message that he’s made up his thoughts could have already got been relayed to the higher-ups on the membership.”
At this juncture, Slot would possibly interject and counsel with lower than quarter-hour of standard time left to go – and the sport all however gained – he was lowering the chance on one in every of his key starters, for whom he has no apparent substitute, simply as he did lower than 10 minutes in a while the opposite flank with Andy Robertson. But it surely’s clear Souness doesn’t purchase that model of occasions, and means that Alexander-Arnold already has his subsequent vacation spot in thoughts.
“He’s operating his contract down,” the previous supervisor mentioned. “In the event you’re going to go away Liverpool, the place else apart from Actual Madrid can you actually go to raised your self?”
Was Arne Slot’s substitution the trace Souness thinks it was? (Picture credit score: Barrington Coombs/Getty Photos) (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
The purpose Souness makes is just not with out benefit, and Liverpool followers gained’t have been soothed by the period of time the right-back spent with Los Blancos and fellow England star Jude Bellingham over the summer season.
Agent Jude little question waxed lyrical about his time in Madrid because the pair headed out to Los Angeles collectively following the top of Euro 2024 , and it gained’t have escaped consideration that Trent’s Madrid counterpart Dani Carvajal is about to see his deal on the Bernabeu expire subsequent summer season.
Contract complications don’t finish there for the Merseyside membership, as Mohamed Salah dropped a lot much less refined hints that it might be his final 12 months following the sport towards Erik ten Hag ’s aspect, and Virgil van Dijk can be within the remaining 12 months of his phrases. There’s work to be achieved at Anfield, then, however Souness fears the ship could have already got set sail in Alexander-Arnold’s case.
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