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12th January 2025
02:13pm GMT
Arne Slot and Liverpool are riding high at the moment; leading the Premier League by six points with a game in hand, 18 from 18 in the Champions League, and coming off the back of a 4-0 FA Cup win.
However, it is looking increasingly likely that one of their star players, the homegrown Trent Alexander-Arnold, will be a Real Madrid player come the summer.
And with Mo Salah's contract also running out, the Reds will be looking to make the most of the 2024/2025 season.
In his column for the Irish Independent, former Liverpool and Ireland star John Aldridge gave his take on the Alexander-Arnold situation.
He compared a potential move away from Merseyside to Steve McManaman's transfer to Madrid in 1999, believing that deals involving homegrown players mean more to the fans and are more scrutinised.
He warned: "Alexander-Arnold may well win every trophy at Real Madrid and he might fancy the challenge of playing for another massive club in a different league, but this move will tarnish his reputation with Liverpool fans."
Alexander-Arnold came in for criticism following a poor display in his side's draw recent 2-2 with Man United, with supporters doubly frustrated given his dealings with Madrid.
However, he starred in his side's 4-0 FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley on Saturday - which included a first-half screamer - with boss Arne Slot praising the 26-year-old.
He said: "I could talk for hours about that goal. The biggest compliment Trent could get was the reaction of everyone [on Saturday] after the Manchester United game.
"Every player around the world, maybe except for a few, has a bad game and it is completely normal. But the moment Trent has one, everyone has an opinion on it.
"Maybe that is because of the contract situation. If that wasn't there, I don't know if people would have reacted in the same way."
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