: The news of the transfer of Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool to Real Madrid at the end of his contract next June, a wave of controversy between the Reds fans, and while some see that he provided the club a great service, others believe that his departure in this way may leave a stained legacy.
The reactions were not calm, especially on social media, as a satirical memes spread to restore his most prominent moments with the team, such as his historical corner that led Liverpool to Rimontada against Barcelona in 2019, until his mural outside Anfield was not spared from ridicule, and some fans came to burn his shirt in protest against his decision.
Compared to the status of Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dyck, who have not yet extended their contracts, it seems that Alexander-Arnold dealt with his position in a different way, he preferred silence, contenting with media leaks, which strengthened the feeling of the fans that he did not want to stay at all, and that his goal from the beginning was to catch up with his friend Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid.
When Real Madrid faced Liverpool last November, Alexander-Arnold and Pelingham preferred to exchange shirts through an intermediary, in an attempt to avoid controversy, but this did not prevent the escalation of speculation about the future of the English player.
Although Liverpool used to the departure of its stars, such as Luis Suarez, Felipe Coutinho, and Fernando Torres, these players left the club with huge money that helped rebuild it, while Alexander-Arnold did not renew his contract, and thus he will leave for free, which made some see him as a traitor to the club that he embraced since his childhood.
There are those who claim that Real Madrid tried to annex it in January for a sum of money, but Liverpool refused, in a desire to maintain the stability of the team during the competition for the league, and given that the team won the title of 2020 without fans because of the pandemic, Alexander-Arnold was hoping to repeat the achievement and celebrate it with the fans this time.
What increased the controversy is to republish an old video clip showing Alexander-Arnold that the only team that might encourage him if he is not with Liverpool is Barcelona, because its values are closer to the Reds.
The comparisons with controversial transfers in the past, such as the departure of Robin van Persie from Arsenal to Manchester United or Ashley Cole’s transfer to Chelsea, may be in his place, but in the era of social media, it seems that the anger of the masses is unprecedented.
Now, the question remains: How will the fans receive him when he returns to the stadiums on April 2 during the Merseyside derby against Everton? Certainly, there will be no consensus between supportive chants and angry biles, but the certainty is that his decision will remain a long debate in the history of Liverpool.
