Alexander-Arnold given strong Real Madrid transfer warning amid ‘losing Liverpool glue’ claim

Michael Owen has warned Trent Alexander-Arnold that he risks disassociating himself from his boyhood ties to Liverpool if he makes the move to Real Madrid – while another former star claims he knows what the Reds vice-captain has decided to do.

Alexander-Arnold is regarded by many as the world’s best right-back, having risen through the Liverpool ranks since signing as a starry-eyed six-year-old. Having been at Anfield now for 20 years, there is a growing risk of his time with his boyhood club coming to an abrupt end in 2025 with his current deal due to expire on June 30, 2025.

And with Alexander-Arnold able to negotiate pre-contract terms with his main suitors, Real Madrid, from January 1 – now just 36 days away – fears are mounting that the 33-times capped England star will depart Anfield as a free agent.

Now Owen, who also ditched Merseyside for Madrid back in 2004, has warned Alexander-Arnold over how the prospective move could cut deeper than he potentially realises.

“Once you’ve moved once and you’re not in the place everyone assumes you are never going to move on from, you almost become a tradable asset,” Owen told The Athletic.

“I never grew up wanting to play for Real Madrid but it’s an honour I did. I grew up wanting to play for Liverpool.

“Once you move, you lose that absolute attachment to your club and you become a trading proposition. You lose the glue you once had, going from contract to contract, because you aren’t playing for the team you support. You’re just a player trying to do well for a specific club. It means more than that when you’ve come through the ranks.”

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Owen went to explain how by moving to Real Madrid he no longer feels welcome at Anfield with the move somehow cutting his ties to his boyhood club.

“I don’t feel as though I’m welcomed or loved and it bloody hurts, so I prefer to avoid it,” he said.

On the circumstances that led to him making the move, Owen continued: “I spoke to the manager (Rafa Benitez) and I spoke to Rick Parry (chief executive). It was like, ‘Let’s agree I’ll do a year or two then I’ll come back’. Subconsciously, that was what I needed, reassurance. I didn’t really want to leave – Liverpool was my club. But I also wondered whether I’d end up regretting it if I didn’t try it.”

Owen insists, however, is should not be considered a “crime” if Alexander-Arnold chooses to Real Madrid over the Reds, given the Spanish giants’ obvious appeal, and feels the player should retain ‘legendary status’ at Anfield.

Meanwhile, another former Reds star John Arne Riise believes Alexander-Arnold’s situation compares to Steven Gerrard’s at Anfield when Chelsea almost poached him away in 2005.

And Riise believes Alexander-Arnold will be waiting for Liverpool to show him the love before committing to a new deal.

“I think it’s important to keep Trent, to be honest,” Riise told the Liverpool Echo. “He’s a local player, an unbelievably good player. It would be really disappointing for the fans, the club, and the city if he leaves because he’s such a local lad, proving you can come from the area and perform at the highest level.

“At the same time, Trent needs to feel wanted – whether it’s the type of contract or the plans the club has for him in the future. But he’s in a good position to negotiate. If Real Madrid is in the picture and you’re performing at a high level, the club really needs to step up.

“I think Trent’s waiting for Liverpool to show that love and commitment that he wants to sign. But at the same time it’s tough because Real Madrid is a massive club, but I think it means more to Trent to be a local hero.

“I was there with Steven Gerrard when he almost left for Chelsea. We were close friends, and I could see how much the discussions in the papers affected Stevie mentally and physically and mood wise.

“He was really close to going, but in the end, the love for the club and the city meant more than a trophy or two. And I think Trent will do the same – he’ll stay.”

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Meanwhile, Liverpool have been urged to break the bank to sign Vinicius Junior with the Real Madrid superstar branded a dream replacement for Mo Salah if the Egyptian departs next summer.

And while Danny Murphy admits the move would be extremely difficult to pull off, he does suggest Salah’s unviable terms over a new deal could force Liverpool to look elsewhere.

On the subject of Salah, an in-the-know Sky Sports reporter has revealed exactly where the land lies as far as talks over that new deal are currently at. And the Reds have been warned that ‘parameters must be bent’ if they are to agree fresh terms and with Salah making his feelings ‘abundantly clear’.

Elsewhere, and with money to spend in the the winter window, Liverpool chiefs are understood to be pushing to bring both Milos Kerkez and Martin Zubimendi to Anfield in January.

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