Jamie Carragher explains ‘disappointment’ over Trent Alexander-Arnold

The right-back is seemingly close to securing a switch to Real Madrid

Trent Alexander-Arnold appears poised to leave Liverpool (Getty Images)

Jamie Carragher has expressed his disappointment with Trent Alexander-Arnold as the Liverpool FC right-back nears a move to Real Madrid.

Alexander-Arnold appears set to join the Spanish capital club at the end of the season with his contract at Anfield due to expire, and no new deal agreed.

The 26-year-old is a product of Liverpool’s academy and has spent nearly a decade in the first-team set-up, helping the club to Premier League and Champions League triumph under Jurgen Klopp and remaining a key figure as the side chase further success under Arne Slot this season.

The England international has been criticised in some quarters for not informing Liverpool of a desire to leave the club ahead of his deal running out, which would have allowed them to potentially pocket a significant fee from Real Madrid or another suitor.

But former defender Carragher has no problem with that aspect of Alexander-Arnold’s potential departure, instead suggesting his frustration that a local product and Liverpool fan wishes to leave a successful side at all, particularly for a European “rival”.

“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 said on the Stick to Football podcast.

“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.

“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. 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.

“We always talk about rivalries and never think of it as European. In some ways, Real Madrid is a rival, and no one will catch them – they are the biggest and most famous team- but I’m desperate for Liverpool to get second on that list – AC Milan are on 7 [European titles]. If I was him, I’d be thinking that we’ve got a great opportunity to win the league this year and could do this and that and at the end of his time, put Liverpool in a position [to top others].”

The futures of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah remain up in the air, with the pair also out of contract at the conclusion of this campaign.

Liverpool lead the Premier League by 12 points from Arsenal and host Everton in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday in their next fixture.