Richard Keys slams Liverpool move as Trent Alexander-Arnold exit turns ‘nasty’
Liverpool have had the blame pointed at themselves for the Anfield faithful turning on Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of a summer move to Real Madrid, by Richard Keys.
Paul Robinson told Football Insider that Alexander-Arnold has already signed a pre-contract agreement with the La Liga giants, with the full-back’s contract expiring at the end of the season.
The right-back has made 349 appearances for his boyhood club, but having been involved in the same contract situation at Liverpool as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, he is not set to extend his stay.
With the Reds losing their 26-year-old superstar on a free transfer, some supporters have accused the player of never caring about the club despite nine years of service at Anfield.
Instead of blaming Alexander-Arnold for the fallout, Keys has fired shots at the Liverpool hierarchy for their choice to keep the player during the winter window rather than offload him for a significant fee.
Liverpool at fault for Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit drama
Taking to X [27 March], Keys wrote: “Like I said – Liverpool should’ve gotten rid of Alexander-Arnold in January and banked the £20m on offer. He was never going to stay.
“Now it’s turned nasty, and he’s no use to them anyway. His staying was never going to determine whether they won the title.”
Alexander-Arnold now looks to be a villain at Anfield rather than the hero on a mural at the corner of Sybil Street and Anfield Road, but the usually controversial figure has chosen to protect him.
Arne Slot preparing for incredibly difficult summer at Anfield
Football Insider verdict
With Van Dijk possibly also walking through the Liverpool exit doors, Arne Slot could be left with quite the squad rebuild challenge ahead of him over the next couple of transfer windows.
Salah would be the most difficult of the three to replace, considering his 243 goals and 110 assists in 392 appearances, becoming one of the Premier League’s most influential players over the last decade.
| Liverpool star | Games played | Contract expiration date |
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | 349 | 30 June, 2025 |
| Virgil van Dijk | 311 | 30 June, 2025 |
| Mohamed Salah | 392 | 30 June, 2025 |
Slot already looks to have wrapped up the Premier League title during this first season at Anfield, but having been knocked out of the Champions League and losing the EFL Cup, supporters have been left wanting more.
Unless the hierarchy can find like-for-like players this summer, which is extremely unlikely, it could be a very difficult transition for the Dutch manager despite such a dominant league campaign.
Ibrahima Konate and Darwin Nunez also have uncertain futures while fans are ready to part ways with Andy Robertson after eight seasons with the Reds.
While excitement has built up over the 2024/25 campaign, Slot will need to navigate a tricky summer transfer window and potentially persuade some of his biggest stars to stay.