Jamie Carragher has spoken for the first time since Trent Alexander-Arnold edged closer to joining Real Madrid.
Alexander-Arnold, 26, has been the subject of intense speculation for much of this season, with the defender – alongside Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah – out of contract at the end of the campaign.
Liverpool have remained in negotiations with all three stars, but no breakthrough has been made as the months tick by, and the trio were able to speak to overseas clubs about joining on a free transfer from January.
Alexander-Arnold has been heavily linked with Real throughout the saga over his future and the Spanish giants had a £20million bid rejected for the 26-year-old in January.
And on Tuesday, Mail Sport reported Real remain confident of signing Alexander-Arnold this summer on a free – with sources in Spain suggesting the move is ‘all set and done’.
And Reds legend Carragher has now weighed in on the latest news and admitted that while he isn’t angry at the defender, he is disappointed in his reasoning behind the potential move.
Jamie Carragher admitted that he is ‘disappointed’ with Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold
News emerged he was edging closer to a summer move to Real Madrid on a free transfer
Carragher said if he was in Alexander-Arnold’s position, he would want to stay at the club
‘Where I’m at is that as a local player and a Liverpool fan, Liverpool are in a position where they’re competing for the league and a European Cup every year,’ he said on the Stick To Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
‘So, if you’re a Liverpool fan and a local player, I’m just disappointed that he doesn’t think that this is it.
‘I’m putting myself in his position where I’d be thinking that we could go level with Manchester United in league trophies, I’ve got another seven or eight years at Liverpool and want to get three or four ahead of them, with a couple more European Cups.’
Carragher also commented on the ‘toxic’ reaction to the news breaking earlier this week and said that while Alexander-Arnold’s exit is not ideal, it is part and parcel of football.
‘It seems like there’s not one thing people are unhappy with – it’s leaving on a free or that he should have come out and told the club earlier – people are angry for three or four different things,’ Carragher added.
‘I’m not angry about him going on a free. In an ideal world, Liverpool would get £70m or £80m for him to reinvest, but you can’t have it both ways as a supporter.
‘If Liverpool sign someone on a free in the summer, we’d all be delighted, so does that mean that his former club should absolutely hate him?
‘Also, when you’re a local player you don’t cost anything – Trent going on a free is like Virgil van Dijk leaving for £75m, we’d still break even.’
The Spanish side are confident they will sign Alexander-Arnold in a major blow for the Reds
Carragher also questioned whether Alexander-Arnold was moving to boost his ‘brand’
The defender’s success over recent years has seen his appeal off the pitch grow dramatically
Alexander-Arnold has racked up 349 appearances for the Reds since coming through the academy, scoring 22 goals and adding 87 assists.
The defender – who has won eight trophies with his boyhood club – was also appointed as vice-captain in the summer of 2023 and has understandably been a firm fan favourite.
Alexander-Arnold’s success at Liverpool has similarly seen his commercial appeal grow, with the 26-year-old working with brands such as adidas, EA SPORTS, Guess Jeans, Under Armour and Google Pixel.
However, Carragher went onto say that while the lure of Real is obvious, he questioned whether Alexander-Arnold was moving to Spain to boost his off-field attraction.
‘I think Trent is a player who looks at himself almost like a brand, and that’s not just him, a lot of players do now,’ he explained.
‘I go back to an interview he gave on Sky Sports before Christmas, where he was given five options on which he’d pick as the most important for you – captain of Liverpool, win the Champions League with Liverpool, win the World Cup with England, or win the Ballon d’Or – and he chose the Ballon d’or.
‘He wanted to be the first full-back that won the Ballon d’Or, and there’s nothing wrong with having ambition, but that didn’t go down particularly well with Liverpool supporters.’
Alexander-Arnold has won eight trophies at Liverpool, including the Champions League in 2019
Meanwhile, Mail Sport had reported back in December that Real were certain Alexander-Arnold would be their man and were planning for life with the England international in their team.
That confidence has only intensified since then, although sources close to Liverpool do suggest that they have had no indication yet that any deal has been completed.
Real Madrid have been legally permitted to talk to Alexander-Arnold since January 1 — and have been doing so — as his contract at Anfield expires in June.
Mail Sport understands those in the Spanish capital have long expected Alexander-Arnold to join but Florentino Perez was keen to respect Liverpool so did not want to make any news public.
But sources in Madrid reckon completing a move is now a matter of a formality at this stage.
Jamie Carragher was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
