Laura Woods: Trent Alexander-Arnold may well end up at Real Madrid… here’s why Liverpool CAN afford to lose him
LAURA WOODS believes Trent Alexander-Arnold may well end up at Real Madrid.
But she reckons Liverpool have nothing to fear even if they do lose their homegrown star.
Alexander-Arnold, 26, is into the final six months of his current Reds contract.
And as of January 1, he is free to speak to European clubs and sign a pre-contract agreement to join in the summer.
Real Madrid’s long pursuit of right-back Alexander-Arnold is far from secret and the lure of the Bernabeu is so often too strong to resist.
Los Blancos were willing to stump up £20million to land the Liverpool local hero this month.
But regardless of the date, should Alexander-Arnold complete the mega-move to Madrid, he would be set for a bumper £100million pay day by boosting his wages and a generous welcome bonus.
However, TV broadcaster Woods does not think the loss of their creating, crossing sensation would be as painful as many Reds fans think.
That is because of a ready-made replacement and fellow academy graduate.
The TNT presenter said: “I think Trent Alexander-Arnold may well end up at Real Madrid and I wouldn’t blame him. He is young, so talented and has the world at his feet.
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“If Real come knocking, there aren’t many that would turn it down, and for good reason.
“Liverpool can afford to lose him with the emergence of Conor Bradley, but shouldn’t do it willingly.
“He is an academy boy, he is loved beyond measure and has been there for all of the highs of Liverpool’s recent successes in the Jurgen Klopp era.
“So if they do let him go, it should be through gritted teeth.”
Alexander-Arnold has forged a reputation as one of the best attacking full-backs thanks to his wonderful deliveries and superb range of passing.
But his defensive frailties and vulnerabilities have been exposed over the years.
However, despite playing 809 more minutes of football for Liverpool than Bradley in the 2024 calendar year, their stats are not very different.
In fact, Bradley actually recorded more assists, completed dribbles and duels won – and nearly double the number of touches in the opposition’s box.
The Northern Irishman, 21, set up Alexis Mac Allister’s opening goal in the famous 2-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid before being sidelined by a hamstring injury.
And Woods reckons Bradley’s potential to fill Alexander-Arnold’s boots puts even greater pressure on negotiating deals for two other key stars out of contract in the summer.
She added to BetMGM: “I do think Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are the priorities of the trio.
“They are vital to Liverpool. They’re the DNA of the club, and losing one of those would rock this team more than losing Trent.
“I just can’t believe the club has allowed three of their star players to run down their contracts like this.
“As much as we’re promised it doesn’t affect their team-mates, the uncertainty will certainly have affected the fanbase and has become one of the main talking points in a season where we should be focusing on their achievements.”