Trent Alexander-Arnold could’ve eclipsed Steven Gerrard.
It would’ve been a tough ask.
The former Liverpool skipper almost single handedly kept the Reds relevant at times.
The shift he put in against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final lives long in the memory. The 2006 FA Cup final was named after him after he scored two outrageous goals.
He reinvented himself time and time again as the Reds mounted title challenges under different managers. He went from a goalscoring midfielder under Rafael Benitez to a deep-lying playmaker under Brendan Rodgers.
Gerrard reportedly turned down the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid to remain at Anfield and secure his legacy.
Alexander-Arnold had a very different role for Liverpool. He was part of Jurgen Klopp’s all-conquering side. He wasn’t just a fortunate bystander though. He played a significant role in the Reds winning everything.
He reshaped the right-back role.
Still only 26, the No66 has played in three Champions League finals, he was part of three sides to claim 90+ points in the Premier League and the only thing missing from his trophy cabinet is the Europa League.
He did what Gerrard couldn’t. He played his part in ending the club’s three decade wait for a title.
The assumption has always been that he’ll be a one-man club. Or as close to a one-man club as possible, perhaps moving abroad in his twilight years to try something different, just as Gerrard did.
The expectation was that he would eventually replace Virgil van Dijk as captain, whenever that may be, and see out his career with the club with the skipper’s armband. Because, in truth, that was all that was missing from his Liverpool story.
Lifting a trophy as captain.
Fans perhaps took that for granted. Gerrard stayed during the drought. Why would Alexander-Arnold leave when Liverpool are still competitive?
There are a number of possible reasons for it.
Maybe he fancies a new challenge. Maybe he just wants to play for Real Madrid. After all, they are European royalty. They attract the biggest and best names.
Being courted by them, regardless of how well they’re doing at the time, is considered quite an achievement. There’s an opportunity to play with one of his best friends in football in Jude Bellingham.
There’s also a hefty pay day on the horizon if he’s moving on a free transfer, something that should not be overlooked.
Perhaps he’s bored at Liverpool. In the nicest way possible, he’s won everything he can already and the Reds are at the start of a rebuild. He might not fancy sticking around during the prime of his career if there’s a chance they aren’t going to be competitive.
Some of these reasons are entirely valid.
And had he come out and said as much, he probably would’ve been respected for it. Instead, however, he’s remained silent as the uncertainty surrounding his future has threatened to detail Liverpool’s campaign.
It may sound extreme but heading into the clash with Manchester United, all anyone could talk about was Alexander-Arnold.
There’s been talk of bids from the LaLiga champions. Then reports emerged to suggest the Reds would offer the right-back a £300,000-per-week mega deal to entice him to remain on Merseyside.
The fact it is seemingly such a struggle to keep the 26-year-old at the club suggests he’s not letting emotions sway his decision. The opportunity to remain with his boyhood club might not be as appealing as it once was.
If it was, it would surely be an easy deal to agree.
And this brings us to that performance against Manchester United.
With emotions running high following the media assault in the days prior, everyone expected an Alexander-Arnold masterclass. With all eyes on him, he needed a response.
There needed to be a reaction. There wasn’t though.
Instead, he played his part in the Manchester United opener having failed to react to what was going on down the Liverpool right.
He was poor in possession, finding a teammate with just 75% of his passes and creating just one chance. He failed to complete a single cross.
Without the ball, he was just as poor. He attempted zero tackles and won none of his five duels.
These sorts of performances happen. The timing was awful though.
With his commitment being questioned, dropping a performance like this just fed into the idea he’s already got his head in Madrid and he’s solely going through the motions here until the end of the season.
He was replaced by Conor Bradley who, in his brief stint on the pitch, completed 100% of his passes, won all of his duels, completed his sole dribble and nearly won the game late on when he almost caught Andre Onana out with a late effort.
The young full-back showed more desire and grit in those 10 minutes on the pitch than Alexander-Arnold did in his 85 minutes.
Arne Slot jumped to the No66’s defence in his post match press conference.
The Dutchman said: 'I think nine out of 10 people will tell you that it affected him. I'm (the) one of the 10 that tells you that I don't think that affected him. 'What affected him is that he had to play against Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, two starters for Portugal, great, great players.
“If these players set themselves to a game - and that is what United once in a while does - then it's very difficult to play against them.”
Skipper Van Dijk, who couldn’t hide his frustration with his teammate on Sunday during moments of the game, also attempted to suffocate the fire that had started to emerge surrounding Alexander-Arnold and his performances.
Asked if the speculation had affected Alexander-Arnold's performance, Van Dijk said: "No. I am fine with it. Trent has his own people around him, his family and we are there as well. He wants to perform in the best way possible like we all do. That is the main focus."
Alexander-Arnold is at a crossroads in his career. His legacy at Liverpool is also at a crossroads.
He could go on to become a bonafide legend, spoken in the same breath as Gerrard. If he leaves, he’ll just be another Michael Owen or a Steve McMananaman, despite helping bring so much success to the club.
It shouldn’t be that way, but it is. And his exit is going to be even more controversial if the performance he put in against the Red Devils becomes the norm.
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