Jamie Carragher has revealed his feelings on the Trent Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid news that burst into life this week.

As the 2024-25 season draws to a close, speculation surrounding around the 26-year-old’s future at Liverpool has reached a fever pitch.

The right-back, whose contract expires on June 30, is increasingly likely to join Spanish giants Real Madrid, marking the end of his 21-year association with his boyhood club.

Real Madrid, who have been long-term admirers of the England international, have been working on a lucrative package to tempt him to the Spanish capital for nearly two years23. Discussions are ongoing, with Alexander-Arnold close to finalizing a five-year deal worth over £200,000 per week, plus a significant signing-on bonus

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Trent Alexander-Arnold currently earns £180,000 per week at Liverpool.

It is standard practice for clubs to offer signing bonuses and additional incentives to free agents as part of the negotiation process, and Real Madrid will no doubt be prepared to include a sizeable lump sum to help lure the Englishman to the Bernabeu.

While there has been plenty of discourse online around Alexander-Arnold’s expected departure, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has now weighed in with his thoughts:

“People are angry at maybe, say, three or four different things.

I’m not angry about this thing about him going on a free, really,” Carragher said on the Overlap.

“I mean, in an ideal world, Liverpool get £70m, £80m and they can go and reinvest, but I always feel like you can’t have it both ways as a supporter, because if Liverpool sign someone on a free in the summer, we’ll all be delighted.”

“Does that mean his former club should absolutely hate him?

And I always think as well, when you’re a local player, you don’t cost anything.”

“So Trent Alexander-Arnold going on a free, is like Virgil van Dijk leaving for £75m.

Liverpool have broken even.”

The Sky Sports pundit went on to explain that he has no issue with the fact that the 26-year-old is leaving on a free, but more that a local player does not want to help solidify Liverpool as the greatest club on English shores:

“So I’m not angry with him going on a free transfer – would love money to replace him if he moves on, where I’m at is that I just think as a local player and a Liverpool fan, Liverpool are in a position, they have been the last five or six years where they’re competing for the league and the European Cup every year,” he continued

“So if you’re a Liverpool fan and a local player, I’m just disappointed that he doesn’t think this is it, in terms of like, you could… I’m putting myself in his position where I’d be thinking, we could go level with United here in the leagues.”

“I’ve got another, say, seven or eight years left at Liverpool, I want to get up to three or four ahead of them – can we get another couple of European Cups?”

FIFA has sanctioned a special transfer window from June 1-10, allowing clubs participating in the Club World Cup to register new players.

This opens the possibility for Real Madrid to secure Alexander-Arnold before his contract expires, potentially enabling him to play in the tournament.

Liverpool, not participating in the Club World Cup, may not obstruct such a move, although they could seek financial compensation.

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