Trent Alexander-Arnold should tread carefully over any potential move to Real Madrid, with Jurgen Klopp’s words serving as a stark reminder. The Liverpool ace has been linked with a transfer to the Bernabeu in light of uncertainty about his Anfield future.
The 25-year-old has less than 12 months remaining on his contract, and while both player and club are open to extending his deal, Madrid could swoop if negotiations go south. As, it turns out, could Barcelona, who are also monitoring Alexander-Arnold’s situation.
Yet recent history tells us that leaving Liverpool for a top overseas club doesn’t always pan out. Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Emre Can, and Georginio Wijnaldum all found adapting to life after Anfield fraught with challenges, and Alexander-Arnold would be wise to bear that in mind.
Former Reds boss Klopp famously told Coutinho he’d regret leaving Liverpool before his £142million move to Barcelona was confirmed back in 2018. “I told him to stay here and they will end up building a statue in your honour,” the German said.
“Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid, and you will be just another player. Here you can be something more.”
Klopp was proven right – and then some. Coutinho fell out of favour at Camp Nou in just his second full season, and was eventually sold to Aston Villa in 2022. Since then, the Brazilian’s star has continued to wane and he’s currently on loan at Vasco da Gama.
Emre Can, formerly a lynchpin in Liverpool’s midfield, similarly ought to have heeded Klopp’s advice. After turning down the chance to extend his Anfield contract, the Germany international signed for Juventus on a free transfer, just a few months after Coutinho’s departure.
A year later he was warming the Serie A club’s bench, while the Reds were celebrating an historic Champions League triumph, ahead of landing their first Premier League title in 30 years. Like Can, Wijnaldum left Liverpool on a free after years of being an indispensable part of Klopp’s midfield.
He joined PSG, but left the Parc des Princes after just one season after failing to live up to expectations. He was loaned to Roma before being sold to Steven Gerrard-managed Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League last summer.
