Five reasons to stay at Liverpool and five reasons to leave Real Madrid

Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of three Liverpool players in the final year of their contracts and some fear the Real Madrid target will turn his head due to interest from elsewhere.

Along with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, who are both in their 30s, Alexander-Arnold is a player whose future Liverpool will need to decide on, preferably before the start of 2025, as he could sign a pre-contract with a foreign club. like Real Madrid since then.

Ultimately, it will be up to Alexander-Arnold to decide his fate and whether he wants to put pen to paper on a new deal. Liverpool Or he could let his contract expire so he can sign for a new club.

Real Madrid are not the only suitors for the 26-year-old, but he is one of the top candidates for his signature and they are confident about that, TEAMtalk has learned. The only club that can stop Liverpool from signing him.

Their interest stems from their need for a long-term successor to Dani Carvajal, who will miss most of this season through injury and turns 33 in January, and will face an uphill battle to get back to his previous levels.

Although Carvajal finished fourth in the 2024 Ballon d’Or voting, this was largely down to his club’s achievements. Alexander-Arnold He is one of the best right-backs in the world and has every right to fight for a transfer to Real Madrid, where he would be perceived as an upgrade.

But Liverpool are also flying at the moment, so what will drive him one way or another when deciding who he wants to play with next season and beyond?

Reasons to stay

Creating a one club legacy

There aren’t many one-club players these days, not only because the age of loyalty has fallen, but also because many youngsters have had loan experiences before moving up to first-team level. Alexander-Arnold never had the need for it, instead he started to make his way to becoming an Anfield first team regular and never looked back. Alexander-Arnold could have cemented his legendary Liverpool status by sticking with the club through its best years. Whether or not he retires as a one-club man – in other words, he may have the end-of-career experience elsewhere like Steven Gerrard did when he left for Los Angeles Galaxy – Alexander-Arnold will remain at Liverpool for the foreseeable future. It will be a story that will satisfy traditionalists and also strengthen the Premier League legacy.

chance to become captain

When Jordan Henderson and James Milner leave Liverpool in 2023, there is a change in the captaincy hierarchy. Alexander-Arnold was one of the main beneficiaries of this transfer, being appointed vice-captain after Van Dijk. Van Dijk is seven years older than Alexander-Arnold, so the academy graduate is likely to step into the full-time captain role at some point if he stays, which would be the culmination of his impressive rise through the ranks. If external interest was eliminated, Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool career would theoretically last longer than Van Dijk’s. He could become the first Liverpudlian captain since Gerrard to emerge as a strong representative of one of the best clubs in the country.

Less pressure?

It’s a debatable point, but it could be argued that Alexander-Arnold will face more pressure at Real Madrid, where expectations are consistently high, than at Liverpool, where there is once again tough expectations, as well as current understanding and affection. Alexander-Arnold comes to the team. If Liverpool have a few bad games and it doesn’t translate into a dip in form over a long period of time, it will be forgotten pretty quickly. If the same thing had happened early in his Madrid career, he might have started to feel the excitement. Of course, a player of his ability should back himself, but there have been examples before of a dream move turning into a nightmare he would want to avoid.

established role

For the better part of eight years, Alexander-Arnold was Liverpool’s main right-back. Thanks to his good performances, he was rarely threatened for the starting position. Alexander-Arnold has maintained just as much faith since Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield dugout, so he could expect to move on if he wants to stay at Liverpool. This would give him a solid platform from which to enjoy his peak years. In turn, he will face more competition for his place at Real Madrid and will need to adapt to a new style of play.

Premier League records are being broken

Alexander-Arnold already has his name on it, along with some striking data from his spell as a Premier League player. For example, he has made the most assists by a defender in the history of the tournament. What else could he achieve if he continues to add to his impressive collection of statistics? He averaged nearly nine assists per season in the league over the last five seasons before this season began. If he continues at this rate, he could probably reach 100 Premier League assists in his 30th birthday season. While he’s unlikely to reach the all-time record overall, he has incredible numbers for a defenseman and could improve a bit more. -breaking successes.

Reasons for leaving

Constant expectation of big trophies

While Alexander-Arnold has a respectable medal collection at Liverpool and has won everything possible to win, the frequency of awards he can expect to receive at Real Madrid may outweigh this. Madrid have become the Champions League’s most successful club, having won two of the last three finals and five of the last nine, and could enable Alexander-Arnold to add more glittering honors to his cabinet. Winning trophies at Liverpool will always be special for Alexander-Arnold, but he could win even more medals at Real Madrid – and in an age when people fixate on honors when judging a player, that may carry some weight.

Ballon d’Or ambitions

Alexander-Arnold recently hinted that he wants to aim for the Ballon d’Or while he is in the prime of his career. Although Manchester City’s Rodri has won the Ballon d’Or award in 2024, LaLiga players have been claiming this award more often than Premier League players lately. A Liverpool player has won the Ballon d’Or only once; By contrast, a Real Madrid player has had the condition 12 times, the most of any club. Alexander-Arnold could boost his chances of winning football’s biggest individual prize by stepping out in his unique role in a star-studded Real Madrid squad.

Experiencing a different culture

On the one hand, Alexander-Arnold is in his comfort zone, playing for the only team he has ever known, his childhood club. That might suit him, but he might also want to challenge himself in a different league and culture. Spanish football is experiencing a resurgence – the men’s national team is the current European champion, the women’s team is the current world champion and La Liga representatives Real Madrid are the last European champions at club level – and it would be fascinating to see how it fares. will adapt to this style of play. There would also be a change in lifestyle for Alexander-Arnold, and deep down, who doesn’t prefer the Spanish climate?

Bellingham connection

Had Alexander-Arnold been transferred to Real Madrid, he could have been linked with another English superstar in the form of Jude Bellingham. The pair get along well thanks to being international teammates and this could help Alexander-Arnold settle in the Spanish capital. Bellingham has certainly found success after joining Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund and Alexander-Arnold could back himself to do the same. English players abroad can often be popular and Real Madrid can field a squad with two of the best players.

have no regrets

Who knows, but you may never get this opportunity again. Real Madrid have shown determination to wait for the right target in situations such as Kylian Mbappe, but their need for right-back reinforcements is becoming increasingly urgent and if not with Alexander-Arnold. may occur with one of a number of alternatives. The ship can sail. In this case, Alexander-Arnold’s decision may have been made for him, but would he have any regrets looking back? He could say that by moving to Madrid he tested himself on the grandest stages. He’ll have a great career even if he doesn’t, but ‘What if?’ He’ll have to think about whether to wonder. By the time he reaches the end of his career, I hope he’s still a long way off.

READ NEXT: List of all players signed by Liverpool from La Liga

Other deciding factors

UK role

While Alexander-Arnold’s role at Liverpool was dominant in terms of regularity of playing time, the same cannot be said for his England career. Yes, he has more competition at international level but he is often overlooked by Gareth Southgate. Now he will be wondering what Thomas Tuchel thinks of him. Naturally, his form at club level will influence the new England head coach’s decisions. So will it benefit Alexander-Arnold to remain visible in English football, or could it actually benefit him to prove himself abroad? There are arguments either way, but the recent change of manager at the Three Lions means this could be a clean slate for England’s Alexander-Arnold and he has an impression to make.

Money

At Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold saw his salary increase over time and became one of Liverpool’s highest-paid players. In his next deal, he might want to move up to being their top earner. Whether Liverpool can calm that ambition remains to be seen. Meanwhile, at Madrid, he wouldn’t be the top earner due to Mbappe’s wealth, but he could still take home a bigger salary than what he earned at Liverpool. There are more important football factors to consider, but as always for players at this level, money may also play a part. This is already shaping up to be one of the biggest off-field epics of the season; Alexander-Arnold has a lot to weigh.