Trent Alexander-Arnold’s summer move to Real Madrid is close to being completed, with Liverpool fans seemingly split on the decision.

The 26-year-old defender is a hometown hero who has won everything there is to win with Liverpool, with Alexander-Arnold set to end his time on Merseyside by leading the Reds to a second Premier League title.

And with Steve McManaman predicting Conor Bradley to step up for Liverpool, the Anfield side already have a ready-made replacement for Alexander-Arnold in the Northern Ireland international, who has impressed this season.

Yet even with all that, fan reaction to Alexander-Arnold’s pending move to Madrid has been diverse, and former striker Stan Collymore has now given his verdict on the reaction.

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Speaking on TalkSport, the pundit suggested Liverpool fans to take a ‘pragmatic approach’ to Alexander-Arnold’s exit, with Collymore noting that the Reds will survive without the England international next season.

With Collymore also touching on Bradley being an in-house replacement for Alexander-Arnold, the pundit’s response to some overblown reactions from Liverpool fans has been for them to keep a level head, with the defender’s exit not the end of the world.

Collymore said: “I’d like to think that Liverpool fans would take a pragmatic approach and say we’re not going to be ‘meh’ like we were when Steve McManaman or Emre Can who said they were going to stay and ended up going.

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“They should just look at it in the cold light of day and say we’re Liverpool Football Club, one of the biggest football clubs, we’ve already got a really good right-back to slot in in Conor Bradley, we might have to spend some money to be able to have the passing that he [Alexander-Arnold] brings, but Liverpool existed before Trent, during Trent, and after Trent, and we’ll still be successful.”

Alexander-Arnold’s departure is going to cut deep with Liverpool fans given how long the defender has been at the club for and all the success the right-back has brought to Anfield since becoming first-choice right-back.

Yet real Liverpool supporters who know how much Alexander-Arnold means to the club will want to give the fullback the perfect send-off, with the 26-year-old a key reason why the Reds are now back at the top of the footballing hierarchy.

Indeed, Alexander-Arnold’s exit from Liverpool will be emotional but one that will be filled with pride and acceptance, with the defender joining the biggest club in the world at the peak of his footballing powers.