Liverpool at the moment are at critical threat of shedding Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold with out compensation. All three gamers are very important for Arne Slot’s staff, the three Liverpool captains, and but, all three are working down the ultimate season of their respective contracts. How and why the Merseysiders have allowed this to return to go stays a thriller.
There has, in fact, been loads of hypothesis about what occurs with every come subsequent summer time. However whereas Salah has repeatedly stated he would love to remain on the membership and finish his enjoying days at Anfield and Van Dijk has just lately revealed talks have been underway for his new deal, no such encouragement has come concerning Alexander-Arnold. Why?
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In truth, there have been claims in Spanish media that the England worldwide has already knowledgeable Liverpool he wouldn’t be signing a brand new deal, with Actual Madrid believed to have put him on high of their switch want checklist as they search for a long-term successor for Dani Carvajal.
Such stories, particularly coming from Spain, are hardly ever correct. Kylian Mbappe, for instance, did finally be a part of Actual, however shops like Marca and AS had him virtually sporting the well-known white shirt already two years earlier than the switch truly occurred. Even Salah was eager to affix Los Blancos a couple of years again, they stated, and that by no means occurred.
However, a cautious have a look at the state of affairs proper now doesn’t encourage optimism in terms of Alexander-Arnold signing a brand new contract. Salah is 32 and Van Dijk is 33 years previous, and whereas they’re nonetheless gamers of elegant high quality, they aren’t precisely younger prospects and different high golf equipment, searching for to construct their groups for the longer term, in all probability received’t be throwing huge quantities of cash their strategy to attempt to signal them. All they will hope for (until they go to Saudi Arabia) are cheap phrases.
However it’s fairly completely different for Alexander-Arnold. On the age of 26, his enjoying traits are somewhat distinctive. He has typically been criticised for perceived defensive weaknesses, however even that has improved notably this season. His passing vary and accuracy is true up there with, for instance, Manchester Metropolis playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, and his proper foot is extraordinarily able to find not solely teammates in promising positions, however the again of the web as properly. He certainly is a participant a membership like Actual Madrid wouldn’t thoughts providing very profitable phrases to, particularly in the event that they signal him on a free switch.
One other factor that may add concern to these hoping Alexander-Arnold wouldn’t depart Liverpool is his latest assertion that he desires to be the primary fullback to win the Ballon d’Or. The final participant to have received that award that didn’t play for Actual Madrid or Barcelona on the time, and his title wasn’t Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, was Kaka again in 2007, 17 years in the past. A robust perception has due to this fact arisen {that a} participant should play for one of many two La Liga giants of he hopes to ever pay money for it. Actual star Vinicius Junior is extensively thought to be the prime contender in 2024.
However Alexander-Arnold becoming a member of Actual Madrid is way from a assure his title would ever seem on that checklist, and he certainly should pay attention to that. There’s a cause no fullback has even received the Ballon d’Or, and the names of attacking gamers like Vinicius, Jude Bellingham, in addition to Kylian Mbappe, would all the time stay forward of his, and so they’re all youthful than him.
Additionally, the England worldwide ought to arguably be mindful the fates of a number of gamers who went from different high golf equipment to one of many two Spanish giants. Wanting solely at those that left Liverpool to take that path because the flip of the century, there are examples of Michael Owen, Luis Suarez, and Philippe Coutinho.
Curiously sufficient, Owen was the final participant to have received the Ballon d’Or whereas enjoying for Liverpool, in 2001. He joined Actual Madrid three years later, and never solely did he fail miserably there and left the Spanish capital after just one season, however that season proved a historic one for Liverpool, the one which ended with the well-known Istanbul miracle and the Champions League triumph.
Suarez, however, was extraordinarily profitable following his transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2014, successful the Champions League in his first season with the Catalan membership. However he didn’t win the Ballon d’Or, and clearly, he was by no means the brightest star of that staff.
No participant ever shone brighter than Messi, and Coutinho can clearly be forgiven for not attending to such heights after he made the change to Barcelona in January 2018. However the Brazilian’s profession quickly took a critical tumble downhill right away, and very like with Owen, Liverpool obtained over his departure fairly shortly, successful the Champions League and the Premier League within the two years that adopted.
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Be that as it might, Alexander-Arnold’s possibilities of successful the Ballon d’Or at any level in his profession don’t look higher at Actual Madrid than at Liverpool. And whereas, for instance, a bout of poor kind could be forgiven at Anfield, particularly for somebody born within the metropolis of Liverpool, on the Santiago Bernabeu the strain is considerably increased.
Whereas there may, in fact, be disagreements between Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool over the phrases of a proposed new deal and leaving underneath such circumstances would, up to a degree, be comprehensible, informing the membership that he has no intention to signal a brand new contract underneath any phrases, at this level already, may properly come again to hang-out him very quickly.
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