Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed that he’s leaving Liverpool Football Club after a 20-year association with the Reds.
While it’s seemed probable for some time that he’d be departing Merseyside upon the end of his current contract on 30 June, the 26-year-old has now made the news official, with LFC’s website confirming as much on Monday morning.
The outgoing vice-captain had a message for supporters as he explained the reasons for his decision to move on from his boyhood club in the wake of them winning a record-equalling 20th league title.
Trent confirms Liverpool exit
As per liverpoolfc.com, Trent outlined that it was ‘not an easy decision’ to leave Liverpool but feels that he now needs ‘a new challenge for me as a player and as a person, and that ‘now is the right time for me to do that’.
Addressing Reds fans directly, the right-back said: “There’s a lot I would like to say. The main thing is a massive thank you. You guys have been there from the start with me, you guys have supported me, been there.
“I’ve felt the support, the love, everything that you guys have done has never been unnoticed by me, I’ve loved every single minute of it. I hope they have felt that has been reciprocated and that I’ve given everything I could to the club.
“I’m just hoping that we’re able to carry on winning games, the noise [around my decision] doesn’t take away from the fact of what we’ve achieved this season.
“It has been an amazing season. It has been amazing to be part of it and I just hope that everyone is able to maybe not dwell on this news for too long and be able to celebrate what the rest of the lads have done.”
Liverpool fans finally have closure on Trent’s future
Even though it’s seemed clear for a number of weeks that Trent would be leaving (despite some claims of late that our title triumph could yet convince him to stay), to have it being made official serves as a bitter blow, with fans justifiably upset that a local lad who’s come through the academy and tasted plenty of success at Liverpool is now leaving on a free transfer in the prime of his career.
As per The Athletic, the 26-year-old had informed Arne Slot and Richard Hughes of his decision not to renew his contract during the March international break, so it appears to have been simply a matter of when the news would be made official in public.
The Athletic also outlined that the England defender is expected to join Real Madrid on a six-year deal, and Fabrizio Romano gave that impending transfer the ‘here we go’ on social media this morning.
Trent will duly bid farewell to Liverpool on the day that the Reds are presented with the Premier League trophy (after the home match against Crystal Palace on 25 May) in what’s sure to be a bittersweet afternoon for him.
It’s gutting to lose him at a time when his hometown club are in the midst of a project with unlimited potential, but he’s made his choice and he’ll know the implications of that decision.
We can still be grateful for everything that he’s given to the shirt, and having official closure on the matter at least enables the Anfield hierarchy to look towards the future in the knowledge that the ‘will-he-won’t he’ discouse around the 26-year-old is no longer.
