Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net

Trent Alexander-Arnold, the apparent heir to Steven Gerrard as the boyhood Red captaining Liverpool to glory, may end up leaving the club for free in a few months time.

If the reports turn out to be true and Alexander-Arnold has agreed to leave Liverpool to join Real Madrid, it would be bitterly disappointing, to say the least.

In my mind, I always pictured Alexander-Arnold as following in Gerrard's footsteps, captaining Liverpool to major trophies and serving the majority, if not the entirety, of his playing career at Anfield.

From Liverpool's perspective, Alexander-Arnold's departure would leave a significant void that must be filled.

But based on the latest reports, it seems more and more unlikely now, unfortunately.

Keifer MacDonald

After such a lengthy silence, the news that Trent Alexander-Arnold is seemingly edging closer towards a move to Real Madrid will come as little surprise to Liverpool supporters.

The 26-year-old has shunned ample opportunities to commit himself to the Arne Slot era at Anfield this season and instead allowed a deafening silence to fill the void.

Now, he looks set on a switch to the Spanish capital at the end of the season, which will see the end of his 21-year association with the Reds.

It goes without saying, of course, that losing a player of Alexander-Arnold's class is a devastating blow that will cost Liverpool tens of millions of pounds to put right.

But unlike Liverpool, though, no amount of money will be able to rectify Alexander-Arnold's decision to swap Anfield for the Santiago Bernabeu and play out the prime years of his career away from his boyhood club.

Sure, even if he walks away from Liverpool as a two-time Premier League winner on July 1, the fall-out from this will-he, wont-he saga has done considerable damage to his otherwise legendary Anfield career.

Only he will know if that is a deal worth agreeing to.

In terms of what's next for Liverpool, Conor Bradley - while a different type of player to Alexander-Arnold - has shown in glimpses during his brief career with the Reds that he has the quality to make a difference at Anfield.

Richard Garnett

I accepted some time ago now that loyalty in football is long gone, so news that Alexander-Arnold is seemingly closing in on a free transfer to Real Madrid is hardly surprising.

Liverpool are going to miss out on millions because Trent Alexander-Arnold didn't have the courtesy of signing a contract beforehand.

In this day and age, as an academy graduate, his sale would have gone down as pure profit on the books.

As it now looks almost certain that Alexander-Arnold is going to join Real Madrid, how can Liverpool cope without him