‘Incredible’ defender announces decision to leave Liverpool

Right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed his decision to leave Liverpool upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the season.

Previously described as ‘incredible’ by manager Arne Slot, the 26-year-old has been an integral part of the Reds’ squad since he broke through from the academy in 2016.

He has made 352 appearances for the club, registering 23 goals and 92 assists and winning eight major titles.

Alexander-Arnold posted a video on social media on Monday, explaining his decision to leave the Merseyside club.

“After 20 years at Liverpool Football Club, now is the time for me to confirm that I will be leaving at the end of the season,” Alexander-Arnold announced on his social media channels this morning. “This is easily the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life.

“I know many of you have wondered why or been frustrated that I haven’t spoken about this yet, but it was always my intention to keep my full focus on the team’s best interests, which was securing number 20.

“I’ve given my all every single day I’ve been at this club, and I hope you feel like I’ve given back to you during my time here. From the bottom of my heart, I thank everybody – my coaches, my managers, my teammates, the staff and our incredible supporters – for the last 20 years.

“I’ve been blessed enough to live out my dreams here and I will never, ever take for granted the special moments I’ve been fortunate enough to have lived through with you all. My love for this club will never die.”

“This club has been my whole life – my whole world – for 20 years. From the academy right through until now, the support and love I have felt from everyone inside and outside of the club will stay with me forever.

“I will forever be in debt to you all. But, I have never known anything else and this decision is about experiencing a new challenge, taking myself out of my comfort zone and pushing myself both professionally and personally.”

The Reds had offered him a new deal that would have made him one of the highest-paid full-backs in the world.

However, he turned down the proposed bumper deal and is now set to join Real Madrid as a free agent.

Liverpool must replace Alexander-Arnold this summer

The departure of the English defender will leave a massive hole in the Reds’ squad, having been a primary creative outlet for the club.

Conor Bradley is in line to be his replacement, but the Northern Irish man cannot be trusted to be Liverpool’s first-choice right-back.

Bradley is not as impactful in the final third as Alexander-Arnold. He averages 0.2 goal contributions per game, while the Englishman averages 0.32.

Bradley’s injury history also makes him less dependable. Due to fitness concerns, he has missed 47 games since last season.

Thus, Liverpool must sign a new right-back to compete with Bradley to defend their Premier League crown next season.

Stats from transfermarkt.com