Trent Alexander-Arnold speaks out on Liverpool ‘dream’ amidst transfer uncertainty

Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Liverpool and England star, is set to become a free agent next summer, with his contract at Anfield expiring. Starting January 1, he will be eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs, something that would be welcomed by Real Madrid.

The 26-year-old admits that he’s living his dream at Liverpool, but there are lingering questions about his future. With his current deal ending at the season’s close, Alexander-Arnold, along with teammates Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, could all leave on free transfers. As it stands, all three players can agree to pre-contract terms with clubs outside England from the beginning of next year.

While both Salah and Van Dijk have expressed a desire to remain at Liverpool and continue with the Premier League leaders, Alexander-Arnold has remained more reserved. In September, when asked about his future, he made it clear he had no intention of letting contract discussions unfold in the public eye. He remarked: “I have always said I want to captain the club, that is an aim of mine and a goal of mine, whether that happens is out of my hands. Look, I have been at the club 20 years now, I have signed four or five contract extensions and none of those have been played out in public. And this one won’t be either.”

Having already made 325 appearances for Liverpool, contributing 19 goals and 81 assists, while winning numerous prestigious titles, Alexander-Arnold acknowledges that he has surpassed his own expectations at his boyhood club. “I never thought I’d play this many games,” he said, speaking to Liverpool’s official website for their ‘Backyard Dreams’ series. “I never thought I’d win as many trophies or achieve the things that I’ve done. I’m living my dream every single day and I have done from the minute I started kicking a ball until now, to be honest.”

Reflecting on his boyhood heroes at Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold expressed his admiration for Steven Gerrard. “Obviously I didn’t see it as practising or trying to get better,” he recalled. “I just saw it as playing a game with my brothers. But, you put the hours in, you get better. I was Gerrard, for sure, there was no-one else for me. I loved [Fernando] Torres, Luis Garcia, [Luis] Suarez, but Gerrard was the one for me.” He added: “It was ‘Gerrard!’ when you whacked [the ball], that was the thing. When you were about to hit it you’d scream ‘Gerrard!’ He’s the only player that I know who has ever had that. No-one screams any other player’s name. [But] if it drops to you on the volley, you’re screaming ‘Gerrard!’”