The British BBC chain, referring to the grounds that will leave the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold in Liverpool, titled an article this Wednesday: “Brilliant service” or “stained legacy”.
The reaction to his departure has not been positive in the English city, at least for what is seen on social networks, often more powerful speaker than reality. The ‘memes’ about the famous corner with which he attended Divock Origi in 2018, teasing to his mural on the outskirts of Anfield and even some radical burning his shirt have been images that have been shared on the Internet in the last hours.
It is the hangover that has caused the news that Alexander-Arnold will change to the ‘reds’ for Real Madrid when his contract Venza in June. It is a situation similar to what Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk live, the other two stars that have not yet renewed their agreement, but the times and the way of managing their negotiation is very different.
While Salah and Van Dijk have appeared in the press and televisions talking about their situation and suggesting that the club has not helped solve its situation, Alexander-Arnold has served all this time of two tools, silence and leaks. Thus, the public has understood that the side has never had the intention of renewing, that it was not a problem of the club for not offering enough and that in his head he has always prevailed the idea of meeting with his friend Jude Bellingham in Real Madrid.
When Real Madrid and Liverpool met at Anfield in November, Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold used an intermediary to exchange t-shirts. They did not want an image that turned more controversial.
Other stars left money in the Liverpool coffers
While Liverpool has already had stars in the past that left for other teams in search of a jump in his career, such as Luis Suárez, Philippe Coutinho and Fernando Torres, for example, they always left a good amount of money in Anfield’s pocket.
Alexander-Arnold reproaches him not to renew to allow Liverpool to take out a slice of a footballer who has been in the club since 2004, that is, 21 of his 26 years. Others argue that Real Madrid tried to sign in January, paying several million euros, but Liverpool refused. It would have been for the player to lose the opportunity to win his second league and to finally celebrate it with his fans, after the unease of doing it behind closed doors in 2020.
A video of Alexander-Arnold has also proliferated in networks recognizing that the team he would support leaving Liverpool aside would be Barcelona, because “their values are the ones that most resemble the ‘reds'”.
How will Anfield react?
When Robin Van Persie changed arsenal for Manchester United or when Ashley Cole left the ‘gunners’ to Chelsea, there was no extension of social networks like the current one, so it is difficult to say if this is one of the operations that has caused the most stinging in England.
However, it will be interesting to see what is the reaction of fans in the return to the game lands of their number ’66’. This will occur, except injuries, on April 2, in a game, for more inri, against Everton.
That there will be no unanimity in the applause or boos to Alexander-Arnold is safe, but it remains to be seen what the part that wins and in what position is a player who has given two decades of his life to a club and that, in the peak of his career, has decided to change his league.