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 instances for the Merseyside membership, earlier than presiding over a much less profitable stint as supervisor. However, he is aware of how issues work in that a part of city.
Alexander-Arnold has grow 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 consult with him as ‘the Scouser in our group’ of their chants, however that chapter may quickly be closing together with his 2021 renewal expiring subsequent summer time.
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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the path of journey in a call made by new boss Arne Slot in his aspect’s resounding 3-0 win over Manchester United at Outdated Trafford.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 great 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 purpose to take Trent off towards Manchester United, apart from they know he’s leaving,” Souness stated, talking on William Hill’s podcast, Three Up Entrance.
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“They’d nonetheless need to hold him on aspect for the remainder of the season and he’ll go without spending a dime on the finish of it. The message that he’s made up his thoughts might 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 normal time left to go – and the sport all however gained – he was lowering the chance on one among his key starters, for whom he has no apparent alternative, 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 stated. “When you’re going to go away Liverpool, the place else apart from Actual Madrid can you actually go to higher your self?”
The purpose Souness makes isn’t 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 time.
Agent Jude little question waxed lyrical about his time in Madrid because the pair headed out to Los Angeles collectively following the tip 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 time.
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 last 12 months of his phrases. There’s work to be executed at Anfield, then, however Souness fears the ship might have already got set sail in Alexander-Arnold’s case.
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