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Paul Scholes believes a lack of faith in their title potential could be Trent Alexander-Arnold's main reason for leaving Liverpool(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Losing Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid this summer would hurt Liverpool in a number of ways – but Manchester United icon Paul Scholes has underlined one connotation of the proposed switch that could be the most worrying of all.

Alexander-Arnold, 26, looks increasingly likely to move to the Bernabeu when his contract at Anfield expires at the end of this season.

And though the split has yet to be confirmed, his Anfield exit could just be the tip of the iceberg, with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk's deals also set to run out in June.



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Thankfully for the Kop faithful, any departing players will more than likely leave with a Premier League winner's medal around their neck, given the Reds are well clear of nearest challengers Arsenal in the title race.

If you talk about the Manchester United team now, and somebody came in, then yeah, good luck, you deserve to go.

"I think Trent is possibly looking at Liverpool and thinking other than they're a really good team – they're gonna win the Premier League – it doesn’t feel like it’s going to be a dominant team for years to come..."

Man United great Scholes aired his theory on The Overlap(Image: YouTube/@TheOverlap)

Arne Slot will of course do his utmost to disprove that theory, but one can see why Scholes – who retired at Old Trafford as a one-club man – may have concerns in that vein.

And the club would have some sizeable holes in their usual XI that will need to be filled should the other two expiring contracts of note not be renewed.

He continued: "It still feels like there’s a few issues at Liverpool, obviously with Trent, Van Dijk and Mo Salah.

So I can understand him wanting to do it from that point of view."

Each of Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk could leave Anfield for nothing this summer(Image: Getty Images)

At least in the case of Alexander-Arnold, Slot has a ready-made replacement in Conor Bradley who has earned his own share of the spotlight.

The Reds recently lost to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final, while they were knocked out of the Champions League following a penalty shootout defeat at home to Paris Saint-Germain.

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Those narrow losses likely won't have inspired confidence in Alexander-Arnold (nor others) that the club is ready to keep adding major titles to their trophy cabinet.
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