Alexander-Arnold leaves as modern Liverpool great – but fans will feel hurt

What had seemed to be an unavoidable situation for months was confirmed by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s announcement to leave Liverpool at the end of the season.

And he will travel to Real Madrid with his friend and former England colleague, even though his emotional farewell video did not mention it.

Alexander-Arnold deserves praise for establishing his current course of action. After the Premier League title victory parade through the city on May 26th, he could have taken the easy way out and left Liverpool’s supporters hanging.

With just two home games remaining, the 26-year-old has chosen to play against Arsenal and Crystal Palace, where Liverpool will win the trophy to celebrate their 20th English league title, in public.

Many Liverpool supporters are puzzled by the player’s decision to leave his hometown club on a free transfer.

Alexander-Arnold’s celebration of his late winner at Leicester City in April, when he removed his red shirt and placed it on a corner flag in front of Liverpool’s supporters, gave him pause to consider whether or not he would be able to leave the club he had called home for 20 years.

When he once more refrained from discussing his future during the victory celebrations, the truth was revealed.

No amount of heartfelt tugging would change the Liverpool legend’s opinion.

When Alexander-Arnold plays his final game at Anfield on May 25th, his fans will have mixed emotions in the stands and on the pitch, but his departure may just ease many Liverpool fans’ disappointment and dismay, in some cases even anger and bemusement.

Liverpool’s supporters have also been questioning Alexander-Arnold’s decision’s timing.

With Carlo Ancelotti’s departure expected at the end of the season, it will also be a time for churn off the pitch at the Bernabeu.

Why switch from Liverpool’s stability and success to Real Madrid’s transitional phase?

It’s simple to say the answer. Real Madrid’s appeal is almost always unresistant.

Before making a decision to join Real in the summer of 2023, Bellingham was being courted by every major club in Europe. When Real Madrid knock on the door, the entire house shakes, as he once said.

Real Madrid’s £20m bid in the January transfer window served as the biggest indicator of Alexander-Arnold’s future.

Real’s transfer strategy was widely known, and those who knew it for a while knew that a free transfer would be completed in the summer were assured that they would not make it. There was also the possibility of rejection.

Liverpool did decline the offer because they wanted to keep Alexander-Arnold and also wanted to gain some rest for a change of heart. He learned that he would not be signing a new contract with his new coach two months later when he met with Arne Slot.

There was never the same level of assurance about Alexander-Arnold, despite the fact that there was always a quiet assurance behind the scenes at Anfield that Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk would sign new deals.

With injuries and the constant rumors and the assumed assumption that Alexander-Arnold was leaving at times, it has been a challenging season for him.

In the January 2-2 draw at Anfield against Manchester United, everything appeared to come to an end.

In what appeared to be a fog of confusion, Alexander-Arnold played a poor pass that gave Real Madrid the opportunity to win the title before being badly overlooked for Amad Diallo’s late equalizer.

Some Liverpool supporters will recall the good times when they feel betrayed and are frequently whistling in the wind. However, it is appropriate in this situation.

Alexander-Arnold has been a key player in the positive experiences Liverpool’s international fanbase experienced first under Jurgen Klopp, then in a remarkable first title-winning campaign under Slot.

Since making his debut in 2016, he has made 352 appearances, collecting 23 goals and winning all of the game’s major prizes. Since then, Liverpool have won 234 games.

Alexander-Arnold played a key role for Liverpool when they won their first title in 30 years under Klopp, who had previously won the Champions League by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the final of the Madrid Cup.

He currently holds two Premier League titles, as well as the FA Cup, two League Cups, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the Uefa Super Cup.

Despite the controversy surrounding Alexander-Arnold’s defensive flaws, Liverpool’s creative genius and stunning passing range always outweighed these. His 86 assists total during his Anfield career demonstrate this.