Liverpool fans should be thanking Trent Alexander-Arnold and wishing him good luck for his impending move to Real Madrid rather than showing the player any animosity, according to Rio Ferdinand.
After months of speculation, January offers and his contract expiring in the summer, news emerged during the recent international break that Alexander-Arnold - currently sidelined with an ankle injury - was on the verge of agreeing to join the LaLiga giants on a bumper contract on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Such a development has led to a frustrated reaction among some Liverpool supporters, many of whom are unhappy at the timing of the decision and have questioned why the lifelong Reds fan would want to leave when they are firmly on course to win the Premier League title in manager Arne Slot’s impressive first campaign at Anfield.
Many will also still fear that captain Virgil van Dijk and top scorer Mohamed Salah may also end up choosing to depart Merseyside with their deals also up in July.
But former Manchester United and England captain Ferdinand believes any ire felt by Liverpool fans over Alexander-Arnold’s likely exit should be aimed at the club for allowing the contract situation to progress to this stage, rather than the player himself.
“You should be saying thank you and good luck. Trent Alexander-Arnold, you didn't pay a penny for him. He came through your academy, he’s one of your own and he won it all,” he said on the latest episode of the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.
“This kid has been there, worn the shirt, been one of your best players, most productive players in one of the most successful periods in recent years.
“And because he's choosing to go and leave the club, not for a rival, not for a team in the Premier League, he's going to the biggest club right now in the world, which is Real Madrid. You should be saying: ‘You know what, I'd love him to stay but well done’.
“You should be clapping him off and giving him a hero's welcome when he eventually comes back in 15 years, when he finishes his career. The club have to take some responsibility. They've allowed him to get to this point.
“When he was 18 months out, he should have told the club that he wanted to leave... rubbish. There are too many moving parts in this. He might not have known then where he wanted to go.
“If it was Real Madrid he wanted to go to only, 18 months ago they have got a right-back who's one of the best in the world. [Dani] Carvajal was flying, captain of his country, winning the Champions League, so the spot's not there for him.
“The situation might have been sped up because of Carvajal's injury. So the situation changes. They're not taking none of that into account. I just feel it's not all on Trent Alexander-Arnold.”
