Trent Alexander-Arnold despatched a message as he celebrated his objective in Liverpool’s 5-0 thrashing of West Ham, but it surely solely gave a glimpse right into a scenario followers have been stored out of.
When the right-back’s effort deflected off Max Kilman past the helpless Alphonse Areola to place the Reds 4-0 up in east London, it marked a primary in over eight months for the membership.
His twentieth objective for Liverpool total, it capped a 12 months that noticed Alexander-Arnold improve his fame for membership and nation, but additionally courtroom extra hypothesis than ever earlier than.
And as he wheeled off in celebration, Liverpool’s No. 66 opted for a gesture that might solely gas the hearth additional.
‘All speak’, ‘maintain speaking’, ‘allow them to speak’…nonetheless you interpreted the yapping hand to his proper ear, it was clearly designed as a response.
That it got here on a weekend of a number of reviews from Spain, together with main sports activities newspapers Marca and AS, claiming he had agreed to hitch Actual Madrid was all of the extra vital.
The apparent assumption was that Alexander-Arnold was denying these rumours, which Arne Slot appeared to bolster when he advised Sky Sports activities after the sport: “The best way he celebrated his objective in all probability tells you adequate.”
“No, I don’t assume it’s adverse in any respect,” he mentioned when requested if the ‘temper music’ round his vice-captain’s dwindling contract was much less optimistic than that of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
“He’s taking part in rather well, scored an excellent objective and the way in which he celebrated his objective in all probability tells you adequate, so I don’t assume I’ve to say far more about it.
“I’m actually proud of Trent, simply as completely satisfied as I’m with Mo and With Virgil, so for me there’s no distinction.
“For the skin world, perhaps there’s a bit extra issues occurring round Trent within the media than with the opposite two, however yeah, I’m proud of all three of them in the meanwhile.”
Nevertheless, there’s additionally a way from the 26-year-old that he’s desperate to detach himself from the furore fully – which features a rising unease amongst supporters of his present membership.
In contrast to Van Dijk and Salah, who’ve obliged and even sought out post-match media requests figuring out they’d be requested about their ongoing talks with Liverpool and made it clear they wish to keep, Alexander-Arnold has hardly ever spoken about his future.
“Look, I’ve been on the membership 20 years now,” he mentioned in September, in the one main handle from the participant himself.
“I’ve signed 4 or 5 contract extensions and none of these have been performed out in public, and this one gained’t be both.”
That in itself is an admirable stance. A lot of recent soccer is targeted round signings, gross sales and contracts and the rising affect of brokers has given them extra energy over golf equipment when utilizing the media.
Alexander-Arnold – who’s represented by his brother, Tyler, director of the PLG company which additionally counts Andy Robertson, Jarrod Bowen, Jordan Henderson and Nat Phillips amongst its many consumers – is outwardly defying that.
However the panorama modifications when considered one of Liverpool’s most embellished academy graduates and a lifelong supporter heads in direction of the ultimate six months of his take care of no signal of a decision and a Spanish large looming over him.
Alexander-Arnold was solely months previous when Steve McManaman was introduced to have reached a pre-contract settlement with Actual Madrid in 1999, simply 5 when Michael Owen left for Actual on a free switch and a 12 months older throughout Steven Gerrard‘s Chelsea saga.
Whereas he could have little reminiscence of the temper round these conditions, his household ties and a 20-year reference to the membership – which started, by the way, across the time of Owen’s departure – imply he will probably be properly conscious of the way it affected the shares of these gamers at Anfield.
From a sporting perspective, McManaman and Owen could possibly be forgiven for buying and selling Liverpool for Actual after they did, notably the previous who was in a position to slot in comfortably into the most effective group on the earth.
However doing in order free brokers was jarring for these left behind.
There’s a motive why McManaman isn’t as revered on Merseyside as a participant of his calibre ought to deserve, simply as there’s a motive Owen continues to be met with disdain by some sections of the Anfield help on his rare visits.
“I don’t really feel as if I’m welcomed or liked and it bloody hurts, so I favor to keep away from it,” the striker, who additionally went on to play for Man United, inferring he had little alternative however to take action, not too long ago advised The Athletic.
Whether or not Alexander-Arnold really would expertise an analogous response if he joined Actual on a free switch on the finish of the season stays to be seen, however there’s definitely a distinction now in that he can be leaving the present finest facet in Europe.
Slot’s facet sit clear on the high of the Premier League and the Champions League heading into 2025 with just one defeat in 27 video games beneath Jurgen Klopp‘s successor – considered one of their 23 victories being over Actual Madrid at Anfield.
Given Liverpool seem on target to not less than carry the league title by the season’s finish, it will definitely match the ambitions of their right-back, who has admitted: “Crucial factor is all the time trophies. I wish to win trophies.”
His final objective from that perspective although is the Ballon d’Or, which historical past reveals is biased in direction of these plying their commerce in Spain and particularly on the Bernabeu – although Owen himself might attest that it’s doable whereas nonetheless a Liverpool participant.
Apparently, Owen provided maybe essentially the most sage recommendation on Alexander-Arnold’s scenario doable later in his interview with The Athletic:
“As soon as you progress, you lose that absolute attachment to your membership and also you turn into a buying and selling proposition.
“You lose the glue you as soon as had, going from contract to contract, since you aren’t taking part in for the group you help.
“You’re only a participant making an attempt to do properly for a particular membership. It means greater than that whenever you’ve come by means of the ranks.”
There Owen, as a 45-year-old who retired over a decade in the past, was talking extra of legacy than something, which is one thing Alexander-Arnold can be minded to think about because the Spanish press maintain speaking.
Gamers have a proper to privateness, definitely in negotiations over their very own futures, however there stays an obligation to these within the stands which ought to resonate extra with a participant who as soon as watched the likes of Gerrard coaching by means of the fences at Melwood.
By distancing himself from hypothesis, that means even a celebration is pounced on as a significant replace, Alexander-Arnold has solely left the matter open to interpretation.
And, as current weeks and months have confirmed, that has risked souring the temper amongst supporters.
It might be ‘all speak’ with regards to the pages of Marca, AS and their counterparts in England, however there is just one one who can finish it and that’s Trent Alexander-Arnold himself.
