Trent Alexander-Arnold despatched a message as he celebrated his objective in Liverpool’s 5-0 thrashing of West Ham, nevertheless it solely gave a glimpse right into a state of affairs followers have been saved out of.
When the right-back’s effort deflected off Max Kilman past the helpless Alphonse Areola to place the Reds 4-0 up in east London, it marked a primary in over eight months for the membership.
His twentieth objective for Liverpool general, it capped a 12 months that noticed Alexander-Arnold improve his fame for membership and nation, but in addition courtroom extra hypothesis than ever earlier than.
And as he wheeled off in celebration, Liverpool’s No. 66 opted for a gesture that might solely gasoline the fireplace additional.
‘All speak’, ‘preserve speaking’, ‘allow them to speak’…nonetheless you interpreted the yapping hand to his proper ear, it was clearly designed as a response.
That it got here on a weekend of a number of experiences from Spain, together with main sports activities newspapers Marca and AS, claiming he had agreed to hitch Actual Madrid was all of the extra important.
The plain assumption was that Alexander-Arnold was denying these rumours, which Arne Slot appeared to strengthen when he instructed Sky Sports activities after the sport: “The way in which he celebrated his objective most likely tells you adequate.”
“No, I don’t assume it’s unfavorable in any respect,” he stated when requested if the ‘temper music’ round his vice-captain’s dwindling contract was much less optimistic than that of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
“He’s taking part in rather well, scored an incredible objective and the way in which he celebrated his objective most likely tells you adequate, so I don’t assume I’ve to say way more about it.
“I’m actually pleased with Trent, simply as blissful as I’m with Mo and With Virgil, so for me there’s no distinction.
“For the skin world, possibly there’s a bit extra issues occurring round Trent within the media than with the opposite two, however yeah, I’m pleased with all three of them in the intervening time.”
Nonetheless, there’s additionally a way from the 26-year-old that he’s desperate to detach himself from the furore fully – which features a rising unease amongst supporters of his present membership.
Not like Van Dijk and Salah, who’ve obliged and even sought out post-match media requests figuring out they might be requested about their ongoing talks with Liverpool and made it clear they need to keep, Alexander-Arnold has not often spoken about his future.
“Look, I’ve been on the membership 20 years now,” he stated in September, in the one main handle from the participant himself.
“I’ve signed 4 or 5 contract extensions and none of these have been performed out in public, and this one gained’t be both.”
That in itself is an admirable stance. A lot of contemporary soccer is targeted round signings, gross sales and contracts and the rising affect of brokers has given them extra energy over golf equipment when utilizing the media.
Alexander-Arnold – who’s represented by his brother, Tyler, director of the PLG company which additionally counts Andy Robertson, Jarrod Bowen, Jordan Henderson and Nat Phillips amongst its many purchasers – is outwardly defying that.
However the panorama modifications when one in every of Liverpool’s most embellished academy graduates and a lifelong supporter heads in the direction of the ultimate six months of his cope with no signal of a decision and a Spanish big looming over him.
Alexander-Arnold was solely months previous when Steve McManaman was introduced to have reached a pre-contract settlement with Actual Madrid in 1999, simply 5 when Michael Owen left for Actual himself for beneath worth and a 12 months older throughout Steven Gerrard‘s Chelsea saga.
Whereas he can have little reminiscence of the temper round these conditions, his household ties and a 20-year reference to the membership – which started, by the way, across the time of Owen’s departure – imply he shall be properly conscious of the way it affected the shares of these gamers at Anfield.
From a sporting perspective, McManaman and Owen may very well be forgiven for buying and selling Liverpool for Actual once they did, significantly the previous who was in a position to slot in comfortably into the very best workforce on the earth.
However doing so was nonetheless jarring for these left behind.
There’s a cause why McManaman isn’t as revered on Merseyside as a participant of his calibre ought to deserve, simply as there’s a cause Owen remains to be met with disdain by some sections of the Anfield assist on his rare visits.
“I don’t really feel as if I’m welcomed or beloved and it bloody hurts, so I favor to keep away from it,” the striker, who additionally went on to play for Man United, inferring he had little alternative however to take action, not too long ago instructed The Athletic.
Whether or not Alexander-Arnold actually would expertise the same response if he joined Actual on a free switch on the finish of the season stays to be seen, however there’s actually a distinction now in that he can be leaving the present finest aspect in Europe.
Slot’s aspect sit clear on the prime of the Premier League and the Champions League heading into 2025 with just one defeat in 27 video games beneath Jurgen Klopp‘s successor – one in every of their 23 victories being over Actual Madrid at Anfield.
Given Liverpool seem on target to at the very least elevate the league title by the season’s finish, it could actually match the ambitions of their right-back, who has admitted: “Crucial factor is at all times trophies. I need to win trophies.”
His final objective from that perspective although is the Ballon d’Or, which historical past exhibits is biased in the direction of these plying their commerce in Spain and particularly on the Bernabeu – although Owen himself may attest that it’s attainable whereas nonetheless a Liverpool participant.
Curiously, Owen supplied maybe probably the most sage recommendation on Alexander-Arnold’s state of affairs attainable later in his interview with The Athletic:
“As soon as you progress, you lose that absolute attachment to your membership and also you turn into a buying and selling proposition.
“You lose the glue you as soon as had, going from contract to contract, since you aren’t taking part in for the workforce you assist.
“You’re only a participant attempting to do properly for a particular membership. It means greater than that if you’ve come by the ranks.”
There Owen, as a 45-year-old who retired over a decade in the past, was talking extra of legacy than something, which is one thing Alexander-Arnold can be minded to contemplate because the Spanish press preserve speaking.
Gamers have a proper to privateness, actually in negotiations over their very own futures, however there stays an obligation to these within the stands which ought to resonate extra with a participant who as soon as watched the likes of Gerrard coaching by the fences at Melwood.
By distancing himself from hypothesis, that means even a celebration is pounced on as a significant replace, Alexander-Arnold has solely left the matter open to interpretation.
And, as latest weeks and months have confirmed, that has risked souring the temper amongst supporters.
It could be ‘all speak’ in the case of the pages of Marca, AS and their counterparts in England, however there is just one one who can finish it and that’s Trent Alexander-Arnold himself.
