Chief football writerPublished5 May 20252308 CommentsTrent Alexander-Arnold's announcement that he is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season confirmed what had seemed an inevitability for months And even though his next destination was not mentioned in his emotional farewell video it is an open secret that he will join his friend and England colleague Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid Alexander-Arnold deserves credit for clarifying his future now He could have taken the easy way out and left Liverpool supporters hanging until after the Premier League title victory parade around the city on 26 May the 26-year-old has made his decision public with two home games left - the first against Arsenal and the second on the final day against Crystal Palace when Liverpool will lift the trophy to celebrate their 20th English league title It will leave him at the mercies of many Liverpool supporters who are baffled that the player they celebrate in song as "the Scouser in our team" has decided to leave his boyhood club on a free transfer Alexander-Arnold's celebration of his late winner at Leicester City in April when he ripped off his red shirt and hoisted it on a corner flag in front of Liverpool's supporters at the King Power Stadium prompted faint hope that he might find it impossible to leave the club he has called home for 20 years The truth hit home when he once more refused to discuss his future during the celebrations of that win He was leaving Liverpool and no amount of emotional pull on the heartstrings would change his mind Those emotions will be mixed in the stands and on the pitch when Alexander-Arnold plays his final game at Anfield on 25 May – but his leaving as a title winner might just ease the disappointment that many Liverpool followers will be feeling Liverpool's fans have also have also been questioning the timing of Alexander-Arnold's decision He leaves with Liverpool on a title high and well placed to challenge for the biggest domestic and European trophies for years to come while Real Madrid looked like a team in need of renewal when they were thrashed 5-1 by Arsenal over two legs in the Champions League quarter-final Alexander-Arnold enjoyed a dream return from injury netting the winner against Leicester in April It will also be a time of churn off the pitch at the Bernabeu with legendary coach Carlo Ancelotti expected to leave at the end of the season Why leave the stability and success of Liverpool for a time of transition at Real Madrid The lure of Real Madrid is almost always irresistible Bellingham was being courted by every major club in Europe before deciding on Real As he put it at the time: "When Real Madrid knock on the door The biggest indicator as to where Alexander-Arnold's future lay came when Real Madrid lodged a £20m bid in the January transfer window Those with long knowledge of Real's transfer strategy were assured they would not make such a move without being confident a free transfer would be completed in the summer not only wanting to keep Alexander-Arnold but also hoping to buy time for a change of heart he met head coach Arne Slot to inform him he would not be signing a new contract While there was always a quiet confidence behind the scenes at Anfield that Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk would sign new deals there was never the same sense of assurance about Alexander-Arnold a difficult season for Alexander-Arnold with injuries and the constant speculation - and latterly assumption - that he was on his way out It all seemed to come to head in the 2-2 draw against Manchester United at Anfield in January After Real Madrid's bid became public knowledge, Alexander-Arnold delivered a nightmare performance in what looked like a fog of confusion playing a poor pass that led to Lisandro Martinez's goal for United before getting caught out badly for Amad Diallo's late equaliser He was then given a yellow card and replaced by Conor Bradley with four minutes left having looked lost and distracted throughout while suddenly feeling the sound of Anfield's frustration aimed in his direction It is often whistling in the wind to ask fans who feel betrayed Alexander-Arnold has played a pivotal in the good times Liverpool's global fanbase have basked in first under Jurgen Klopp then in a remarkable first title-winning season under Slot He has made 352 appearances since making his debut in 2016 scoring 23 goals and claiming all of the game's major prizes Alexander-Arnold was integral when Liverpool won their first title in 30 years with Klopp at the helm in 2019-20 having won the Champions League the year before by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the final in Madrid He now has two Premier League titles to his name as well as the Fifa Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup For all the debate around Alexander-Arnold's defensive flaws these were outweighed by the creative brilliance and stunning range of passing that always gave Liverpool an extra dimension This is proved by his rate of providing 86 assists in his Anfield career Alexander-Arnold will be remembered as the local boy who became a modern Liverpool greats Now he must wait to see if this is fully acknowledged by the supporters who adored him as one of their own wearing the red shirt 'Exceptional' Bradley 'needs competition' Alexander-Arnold to leave Liverpool at end of season Alexander-Arnold to leave Liverpool & 'expected to join' Real Madrid - 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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. 2425 CommentsEngland right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed he will leave Premier League champions Liverpool at the end of the season is out of contract on 30 June and is expected to join Real Madrid "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 social media "This is easily the hardest decision I've ever made in my life." Alexander-Arnold is one of three high-profile players whose deals at Anfield run out this summer but while Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have signed fresh contracts in recent weeks Alexander-Arnold will leave when his expires The Liverpool-born defender has made 352 appearances scored 23 goals and provided 86 assists for the club since making his debut in 2016 He has helped them win this season's top-flight title under Arne Slot and also won the Premier League under the Reds' former manager Jurgen Klopp in 2019-20 His other trophies with Liverpool include the Champions League in 2018-19 "This club has been my whole life – my whole world - for 20 years," added Alexander-Arnold "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 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." Liverpool said Alexander-Arnold "will depart with our gratitude and appreciation for his contribution during a sustained period of success" How could Liverpool replace Alexander-Arnold Get Liverpool news sent straight to your phone Alexander-Arnold was a midfielder during his days in Liverpool's academy but was introduced into the first team by Klopp as a right-back Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold have been a major talking point during Slot's first season in charge with the Dutchman regularly being asked about their futures Salah announced he was staying on a new two-year deal in April and was followed by Van Dijk agreeing similar terms the following week However the speculation about Alexander-Arnold continued and, while Slot praised the defender on 18 April and said his future was still "not done" Alexander-Arnold said he had waited to announce his decision as Liverpool had now secured their 20th top-flight title "Obviously there's been a lot of noise around what the decision was going to be and how that was going to look," said Alexander-Arnold "I know a lot of people will say I should have said sooner a lot of people will say maybe I waited for the right time But I felt personally the focus should always be on the pitch "When we were in a title race and trying to push for trophies it's about making the right decision for the team and trying not to distract the team and take away from what we're doing on the pitch "Now that we've won the league and we've been able to celebrate it and celebrate such an amazing achievement I felt like now is the right time to get it off my chest and tell the fans the truth Liverpool rejected an approach from Real Madrid for Alexander-Arnold in January and while his decision to leave has come as a major disappointment to the club they believe they did all they could to convince him to stay Richard Hughes contacted Alexander-Arnold's representatives before he officially took over as Liverpool's sporting director last summer Formal negotiations started following Slot being confirmed as Klopp's successor last May and while contact was ongoing during cordial and constructive negotiations it became clear to the club that Alexander-Arnold would not sign a new contract Hughes met Alexander-Arnold's representatives for a final time earlier this Spring and The biggest unkept secret in English football is finally confirmed: Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving Liverpool after 20 years at his boyhood club What happens next will hardly be a bombshell revelation either the defender will join Real Madrid on a free transfer in the coming weeks following months of discussions with the Spanish giants It's the lure of a new challenge - the prestige of becoming a Galactico - that is the overriding motivation for Alexander-Arnold while he will undoubtedly be well remunerated in the Spanish capital - with well-placed sources indicating his basic wage in Madrid will be supplemented by a healthy commercial and image rights package - Liverpool were willing to make Alexander-Arnold one of the best-paid defenders in Premier League history to sign a new contract at Anfield But you get the impression that money isn't the sole driver for Alexander-Arnold He's won everything there is to win with Liverpool too; playing a key role in the club's 20th league title triumph Winning at Real Madrid puts you on different stratosphere even for someone as emotionally attached to his surroundings as Alexander-Arnold is will relinquish the vice-captaincy - a role Mohamed Salah is understood to be a prime candidate to fill for next season Leaving home will carry an emotional burden but a new challenge is on the horizon for Alexander-Arnold Alexander-Arnold helped Liverpool win Europe's top competition for a sixth time when they beat Tottenham in the 2019 Champions League final Liverpool's Premier League win in 2020 ended a 30-year wait for an English top-flight title View comments | 2425Top storiesTrailblazer Zhao set to take snooker to 'another level' in China Full-back did it all for his boyhood club and is off to a new reality where his game will face increased scrutiny Before basking in the acclaim and adulation of the Kop when No 20 was sealed two Sundays ago Trent Alexander-Arnold headed for the suits There was a warm embrace between the Liverpool star and Michael Edwards chief executive of football at Fenway Sports Group the man who initiated contract talks with Alexander-Arnold’s brother and agent prior to starting as the club’s new sporting director last summer and has faced a losing battle on that score ever since The Premier League champions are losing a unique That will sting FSG almost as much as the supporters who understandably cannot reconcile one of their own wanting to jump ship at any moment let alone after the high of the club’s record-equalling league title If the Anfield celebrations on the day the championship was secured against Tottenham could not change the defender’s mind – and he had informed Slot of his decision to leave in late March – nothing would Alexander-Arnold has been a first-team fixture at Liverpool for nine seasons Steven Gerrard marked him out as having “a terrific chance of making it as a top professional” in his 2015 autobiography He was Trent Arnold back then and had caught Gerrard’s eye playing as a holding midfielder in the under-16s team he was coaching “He’s quite leggy but he’s got a lovely frame and seems to have all the attributes you need,” wrote the Liverpool legend “He’s still not strong enough at the moment View image in fullscreenTrent Alexander-Arnold informed Arne Slot of his decision to leave Liverpool in late March Photograph: Liverpool FC/Getty ImagesThe full-back grew up near Liverpool’s former Melwood training ground in West Derby wanting to emulate Gerrard’s achievements in a red shirt He has surpassed them in terms of silverware but has been able to cut ties with the city and the club in the prime of his career It is not difficult to imagine Alexander-Arnold wanting to embrace a new challenge a new language and fitting in with the celebrity lifestyle at Real Madrid alongside his good friend Jude Bellingham Alexander-Arnold’s world-class vision and assists will grace the Bernabéu but for a generation of Madrid fans accustomed to the superior defensive application of Dani Carvajal There is more to his departure than the lucrative contract he will receive as a free agent Alexander-Arnold will know how his exit will be received by fellow Liverpool fans by someone the Kop lauds as the “scouser in our team” He was also caught out in that first leg by a long diagonal ball that led to Hoffenheim’s consolation goal The occasional lapse in concentration is something Slot has been working on with the player all season Free daily newsletterKick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football There were 12 Premier League assists in 2018-19, a new Premier League record for a defender of 13 assists as Liverpool swept to the title the following season and another dozen league assists in 2021-22 That season would produce a career-best 19 assists in total as Liverpool played an epic 63-game campaign and Alexander-Arnold continued to redefine what it meant to be a full-back the defender had won every competition he had competed in with Liverpool – the Champions League Another Premier League and League Cup have since been added to the collection That doesn’t happen to a defender who cannot defend The glittering CV also explains his desire to try something new There were some reservations inside the camp as to how the travel and temperatures would affect the team on its swift return to domestic action on Boxing Day with Alexander-Arnold involved in all four goals was a decisive moment in Liverpool’s quest to end their 30-year wait for title No 19 Alexander-Arnold has captained his boyhood club and flourished in a hybrid full-back/midfield role under Klopp the man who appointed him Liverpool’s vice-captain in July 2023 There is still a Premier League trophy lift and parade to come It will be interesting to hear how Alexander-Arnold’s part in the celebrations after Crystal Palace visit Anfield on 25 May is received or how Anfield reacts to confirmation of his exit against Arsenal on Sunday An awkward few weeks await but Liverpool will move on US EditionUK EditionScottish SunIrish SunSearchMy Account Ciaran Wiseman Chelsea star Cole Palmer admitted 's*** happens' as he finally ended his four-month goal drought in his side's 3-1 win over champions Liverpool The England international fired in a late penalty to seal the victory, with the Reds losing their first Premier League game in which Virgil van Dijk has scored Arne Slot's side featuring for the first time since clinching the title last weekend fell behind at Stamford Bridge just three minutes in after Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring Chelsea wrapped up the points in the second half with a Jarell Quansah own goal and Palmer penalty either side of Van Dijk's consolation strike It is the first time the Reds have lost with the Dutch defender on target in the top-flight Their unique unbeaten streak dates back to hisfirst league goal for the club in December 2018 In contrast, Palmer ended his own dry spell in front of goal with his stoppage time spot-kick. The England international had not found the net since January, a run stretching back 18 matches. His emotions got the better of him during an X-rated post-match interview. Palmer told Sky Sports: "I just felt normal but it just gives me more fight and motivation to do more for myself and for the team "Social media nowadays is full of idiots "I've scored today and I'm happy but it's only one and I've got to keep improving and try and reach new levels." he added: "Getting chances and not scoring it feels like you're letting your team down "I feel like I am mentally strong anyway I feel pride in helping the team and if I'm not doing that "When you have got him [Moises Caicedo] in front of you nice to everyone and everyone loves him." Palmer now boasts 25 goal contributions this season the 22-year-old has scored 15 times and provided ten assists for his team-mates the result marked Liverpool's first loss by two goals in the league under Slot Following his appointment last summer, the former Feyenoord boss had only seen his side lose twice in the Premier League Those defeats to Nottingham Forest and Fulham had both been by a single goal The Reds remain 15 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table with just three matches remaining they occupy fifth place in the race for Champions League qualification Liverpool gifting the win to Chelsea could have long-term consequences And the Blues are nothing but the new Spurs Send your mails to theeditor@football365.com They do realise Chelsea with Champions League next season are going to be targeting the players they will be after Have 7 substandard goal keepers and your best one out on loan … Have a player clearly should be playing at a bigger club…. Wait til the offers come and that pesky PSR must profit on English players dilemma comes in … Have fans who think they are a big club… Check Have a manager who gets carried away at beating a big club …… Check Have an average winger who cups his ears at away fans despite being Second prize if you thought I was talking about Arsenal READ: 16 Conclusions on Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool: Brilliant Cole Palmer exploits half-hearted Liverpool But the Newcastle v Chelsea game next Sunday became at least a £50million pointer – and could cost Maresca his job Elite teams win ties even with big matches looming Elite teams are capable of finding solutions that win matches through squad rotation Elite teams don’t have to use emotions to channel their focus Elite teams don’t need to wave their arms and gee up their fans at every throw in Elite teams don’t drop points in 44% of their home matches I feel like I’m going mad that anyone can consider Bournemouth’s winning goal as anything other than handball under the current rules A ball bouncing in an upwards trajectory towards a players hip/stomach/elbow area as he’s leaning back (being pushed back) and then takes a sudden downward trajectory after it hits him Literally the only way this can happen is by it hitting his elbow but even if you want to be obtuse and argue that (hello Jamie completely unbiased Redknapp) then you can just use basic knowledge of how physics of a moving ball works In a sea of frankly embarrassing referee and var decisions all season that has to be right up near the top and another one of those that seems reserved especially for Arsenal It feels like there can be a really poor decision and var can say I think 99.9% you’ve got that wrong but because I can’t rule out the 0.1% chance that I’m wrong I won’t overturn it but they will also get a few that go their way Even if you subscribe to the view that all decisions have so much subjectivity around them these things are 50/50 then how have Arsenal had 10+ of these 50/50 decisions and every single one go against us Genuine question – have Arsenal had any game defining subjective 50/50 decision to in their favour all season in the league I wonder how long before INEOS pull the plug on him will they repeat the trick like they did last October with Ten Hag and summer transfers But back to Amorim as he shows no sings of learning the way teams play in Premier League 5 at back and low block for every game since he arrived and they are still leaking goals (This is the Premier League table since Ruben Amorim was appointed; I don’t think he would have relegated them – Ed) I’m aware that anything you publish in the Mailbox is your property This is my explicit permission to publish anything I post under that name in whatever format you choose nail down the “I presumes” and still publish it for free (in this case All the recent Mailbox entries about broadcast commentary and punditry have made it clear that I don’t understand how most of the members of this forum experience the sport I don’t really even understand who’s providing what coverage of what competition in England I’ll try to describe what I see in the US and other US fans will no doubt fill in gaps Also: I’m talking studio/pitch-side work not match commentary (another can of worms; NBC features Graeme Le Saux I get my EPL coverage from NBC and subsidiary networks like USA and – on the final day of the season – Golf Channel and the Food Network or whatever and as many as six matches a weekend are available with basic cable The balance of coverage is handled by Peacock which lets me see every EPL match (and replays) with no blackouts Some matches see the US studio team broadcasting from a ground hosting a big match Rebecca Lowe swings between anchoring Premier League coverage for NBC in the US alongside Tim Howard and Robbies Earle and Mustoe and covering the Kentucky Derby and occasional English-market specific events so it’s always been clear that we in the US aren’t getting the same product that you do in England the crew broadcast from Churchill Downs before the Kentucky Derby disappeared from the NBC broadcast to do something for…Sky If you folks around the world see any of these NBC broadcasters even if NBC’s version of deep reporting is having a dude hold English sports-page headlines up to his webcam The Robbies are personable and solid and have real authority but evidently not enough for Sky or the Beeb CBS/Paramount+ has the rights to broadcast Champions League coverage This is the crew featuring Micah Richards and Thierry Henry I don’t know whether that’s from Sky or BBC I had a soft spot for Richards as a player but find him positively insulting doing football coverage He’s the guy that all the Ferdinand complaints make me think of the otherwise excellent Henry’s contempt for Richards seems to show I generally dislike their material because of the weird primate-dominance and/or sexist vibes I’ve seen it achieve You have to sub to Paramount+ to get all of this stuff Almost everything utter MAGA clown Alexei Lalas says reveals ignorance and overconfidence (yeah I remember how you couldn’t make it in Europe) and the rest of the crew — mostly former male & female US pros who do have a clue — don’t have a chance Fox did not acknowledge the human rights violations associated with the Qatar World Cup even once in their coverage I get access to ESPN/ESPN+ coverage of the FA Cup big European leagues and most international football (also NHL) through my subscription to Disney+ Its football coverage feels more low-rent than other networks* and I don’t know how much of it folks in the UK get but I suspect the rest of the world gets a lot Adrian Healey and Kay Murray in the UK and Craig Burley Those last are two of my favorite keepers ever Roy Keane and Rio Ferdinand (those last two both pretty awful and Shearer isn’t exactly brilliant except when celebrating NUFC cup wins) on Youtube I’m seldom sure whether it’s Sky or BBC coverage because more TV people on that side of the pond seem to have regular radio and podcast gigs on what might be competing networks I don’t have instant recognition for anybody but former players amongst that cast/those casts We really haven’t gotten the Amazon presence in the US though of course they did feature the NUFC documentary/marketing exercise I didn’t even know that until I started writing this I sometimes have Spanish-language broadcasts via YouTube TV playin while I do something else but have little familiarity with the broadcasters shown in the US beyond Andres Cantor Telemundo and Universo broadcast EPL matches and studio “headquarters” programs One of the Spanish-language networks — Telemundo — has the EPL and often airs La Liga and Liga MX The EFL Championship used to be on FuboTV; I think ESPN has it now And I know there’s an entire ecosystem based on VPNs that I would have clung to like a mother had it existed a quarter century ago when I got like one EPL match a week via ESPN You could see more Aussie-rules football than soccer back then I can watch virtually any match from international level to Australian or African national leagues without resorting to piracy Three-sided five-a-side football on a circular pitch with three goals I walked to the kitchen and washed four steel tumblers and (almost) a spoon before Isak actually took it but I’m focused on this one: what were they looking for The penalty was naked-eye obvious and the handball clearly intentional so that wasn’t what they were looking at I’m not tryna blame the officials for Newcastle’s draw today and Hürzeler consistently puts out sides that disrupt our play effectively they beat us at home on my only trip to SJP © Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved It was during the March international break when the Liverpool right-back who was recovering from an ankle injury sustained against Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the Champions League last 16 tie went to see the Dutchman in his office at the Kirkby training complex Alexander-Arnold informed Slot that he had decided to leave his boyhood club when his contract expired at the end of the season He explained how he felt at this stage of his career that he needed to step out of his comfort zone and pursue a new challenge Slot expressed his disappointment but said he respected his vice-captain’s decision “You’re a huge part of this team and let’s end it on a high together,” Slot told him Having been reassured that the head coach still wanted him to feature once he was fit as Liverpool closed in on Premier League title glory Alexander-Arnold replied: “My mindset and commitment won’t change I’ll continue to give everything for this club until the final day.” It was around the same time in March that Alexander-Arnold’s representative formally notified Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes that he wouldn’t be signing a new contract at Anfield There was little sense of surprise at the club given talks over an extension had effectively ended earlier that month with Alexander-Arnold then taking some time to reach a final decision He was determined to keep the news under wraps until after the title had been won to avoid creating any unwanted distractions for the team Now, eight days after the wild celebrations at Anfield that followed the 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham, there is official confirmation of his impending exit Both out of respect to Liverpool and the fact that a long-term contract with Real Madrid is not yet signed and sealed Alexander-Arnold has not confirmed his destination but he is set to grace the Bernabeu next season It ends a 20-year association with Liverpool dating back to when he first joined the academy at the age of six He lived his dream as he clocked up over 350 appearances and won the Champions League The Athletic has spoken to multiple sources with knowledge of Alexander-Arnold’s situation on the condition of anonymity to protect their positions in an effort to answer the key questions surrounding his decision to depart find themselves in a position where one of their most valuable assets will be leaving for nothing at the peak of his powers When did Real Madrid’s charm offensive start in earnest It was the first time in his professional career that Alexander-Arnold had entered the final two years of his contract He had previously penned extensions in July 2017 with Liverpool regularly rewarding his development and growing importance to the side with improved terms Having been appointed vice-captain by Jurgen Klopp following the departure of James Milner he had expected Liverpool to open talks before the start of the 2023-24 season There was major upheaval behind the scenes at Anfield Julian Ward had stepped down as sporting director just a year after succeeding Michael Edwards Unable to find a suitable long-term successor Liverpool gave the job to Jorg Schmadtke on an interim basis The German executive was tempted out of retirement after being recommended by Klopp’s agent Schmadtke described himself as Klopp’s “assistant” and his focus was on negotiating transfer deals as the club embarked on a midfield rebuild the situation was complicated by Klopp informing FSG president Mike Gordon that he had run out of energy and would be leaving at the end of the season Once Klopp had announced the news publicly two months later it was clear that everything would be on hold until there was clarity about the direction Liverpool were going in No player was going to commit without knowing who was taking over and where he stood in his plans With Gordon keen to take a step back himself, he managed to convince Edwards to return to the fold with greater responsibility and his first task was to bring in Hughes from Bournemouth as sporting director Hughes’ initial priority was leading the search for Klopp’s replacement Hughes’ first call in the job had actually been to Alexander-Arnold’s camp to introduce himself and in late April last year talks over a new contract were initiated with an opening offer made before the end of that month The England international understood the circumstances behind why it had taken Liverpool so long to come to the table he privately started to wonder whether the 2024-25 season could be his last for the club Interest from Real Madrid was already well known and he questioned how strongly Liverpool really wanted to keep him Those concerns were allayed in the months that followed by the subsequent offers that Hughes made It would have made Alexander-Arnold the highest paid full-back in the Premier League and one of the highest in world football Alexander-Arnold was already considering the prospect of moving to Spain “Look, I have been at the club 20 years now. I have signed four or five contract extensions and none of those have been played out in public. This one won’t be either,” Alexander-Arnold told reporters following Liverpool’s 3-0 home win over Bournemouth in September Pushed on whether he wanted to stay at Anfield he added: “I want to be a Liverpool player this season (as a minimum) is what I will say.” It was the first and final time Alexander-Arnold stopped in a media mixed zone all season When he conducted interviews with TV rights holders He kept his counsel as the speculation around his future cranked up even if that meant allowing others to fill the void with inaccurate information Privately, he was wrestling with the biggest decision of his life. It was made more difficult by the close relationship he had quickly established with Slot. He loved the new head coach’s meticulous planning and attention to detail Alexander-Arnold regards him as a genius and a perfectionist who has helped take the defensive side of his game to the next level “I want you to be harsh on me,” Alexander-Arnold told Slot as they sat together at Kirkby to analyse his performances during the early weeks of the season It was clear to him that Liverpool would be serious contenders for the biggest prizes with Slot at the helm It helped Alexander-Arnold that there was also so much noise for most of the season surrounding the futures of team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah who both ultimately ended up penning two-year extensions in April What cut deep was when he heard or read his commitment being questioned with suggestions that ‘his head was already in Spain’ It reached a crescendo in the build-up to the visit of rivals Manchester United to Anfield on January 5 The player had responded to reports in the Spanish media that he had already given Real Madrid his word that he would join them by making a talking gesture when celebrating scoring in the 5-0 rout of West Ham United Liverpool officially rejected an approach from Real Madrid who wanted to buy him in the January window It was unsolicited and prior to the January 1 date when they were allowed to speak with the player Sources in Spain indicated they were willing to pay around £20million rather than wait six months to land him on a free transfer but no figures were discussed during a brief exchange Edwards and Hughes vowed to keep the squad together for the rest of the season and knew Alexander-Arnold’s value to them was much greater with Slot’s side still competing on four fronts Liverpool had also snubbed strong interest from Saudi Pro League outfit Al Nassr in striker Darwin Nunez On January 18 there was a sense of vindication internally when Alexander-Arnold created the opening goal for Nunez in a dramatic win at Brentford rivals Arsenal threw away a 2-0 lead against Aston Villa as Slot’s side strengthened their grip on the title race Alexander-Arnold was hurt by accusations that he had actively encouraged the late December approach. He knew Real Madrid had a crisis at right-back following the knee injury suffered by Dani Carvajal in October and that they wanted to secure his services but he was never looking to leave mid-season He only learned a few minutes before it emerged in the UK media on New Year’s Eve that an approach had been received and rejected he was still in active contract talks with Liverpool and hadn’t made his mind up about his future All the criticism affected him against Manchester United He made a number of mistakes and bore the brunt of the Anfield crowd’s frustration during the 2-2 draw He was grateful for Slot’s support — both publicly and privately — during a difficult period and the reception he got from the away end when he came on against Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final in London three days later lifted his spirits He then captained Liverpool and scored in the FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley There was an ovation when he was replaced by Conor Bradley in the second half Real Madrid had long since been keeping close tabs on Alexander-Arnold’s contract situation and had been confident of securing his signature since November They have made a habit in recent years of signing up some of European football’s finest talent on free transfers Chief scout Juni Calafat is always tasked with forging strong links with a target and establishing a player’s willingness to move before general manager Jose Angel Sanchez steps in and leads negotiations with all major decisions needing the green light from club president Florentino Perez After Carvajal ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Villarreal the Madrid board decided that Alexander-Arnold was their top target as they sought to recruit a right-back they were already looking for a long-term successor but suddenly faced with a gaping void in the team they wanted Alexander-Arnold as soon as possible a source close to coach Carlo Ancelotti told The Athletic: “What I know is that without a right-back it is impossible to win the Champions League.” Senior figures at Real Madrid thought with Liverpool so far ahead domestically and with an impressive deputy in Bradley the Premier League leaders might be open to pocketing a fee rather than losing him for nothing in the summer But they were mistaken and Madrid’s approach was instantly rejected With Liverpool steadfast in their desire to keep Alexander-Arnold for the rest of the season Madrid’s focus shifted back to signing him as a free agent They explained the sporting and economic project in detail and asked him not to renew his contract on Merseyside There was growing certainty in the Spanish capital that they would get their man Ancelotti and other senior figures at the club’s Valdebebas training facility had been informed by the board that the deal was as good as done Slot continued to pick Alexander-Arnold because his attitude did not waver and he did not want to deprive himself of such a creative force The head coach knew the lengths to which Alexander-Arnold had gone to make himself available He had played for Liverpool with the aid of painkilling injections after suffering a side strain for England against Finland back in October He then worked tirelessly during his rehab to get back ahead of schedule after damaging his ankle against PSG in mid-March That is why there was such an outpouring of emotion when he scored the winner on his comeback away at Leicester City on April 20 he wanted to prove that he was still devoted to securing the club’s 20th top-flight crown “Let the headlines be his great goal and not his contract situation,”  Slot told reporters post-match “It would be ridiculous if someone argues about his commitment to his club.” Fellow home-grown players Steve McManaman and Michael Owen had previously left Anfield for Real Madrid in search of glory but Alexander-Arnold’s situation is different given the runaway title triumph under Slot His status as a free agent means there will be a hefty signing-on fee but money was never going to be the motivating factor for Alexander-Arnold he would have invited offers from across Europe and considered interest from the Premier League it did not matter what Liverpool offered him financially Another £5m a year would have changed nothing and there’s little sense of bitterness or resentment on either side who inherited a tricky situation a year ago and did everything he could to convince him to stay the protracted negotiations were cordial and constructive but it became increasingly clear that an agreement could not be reached They could not give him what he wanted — a fresh challenge who holds the record for most Premier League assists by a defender was fully immersed in the celebrations on the field after the emphatic victory over Tottenham at Anfield that wrapped up the title He stepped forward to be serenaded by the Kop as they chanted about “the Scouser in our team” He stood in front of the supporters with his arms outstretched before tapping his heart There was some speculation that the scenes might lead to a dramatic U-turn there was a warm exchange with Liverpool’s principal owner “You’ve been an amazing player for this team and I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve given to this club,” Henry told him but I wish you well for the future.” Alexander-Arnold replied: “Thank you for everything A couple of streets away, on the corner of Sybil Road, there’s a giant mural of Alexander-Arnold on the wall, accompanied by the quote: “I’m just a normal lad from Liverpool whose dream has just come true.” He had uttered those words after the Champions League final victory over Tottenham in Madrid in 2019. Now his story will continue in the Spanish capital. Premier League tradition was not well received by many of the home faithful at Stamford Bridge Sport | Football featuring team news and expert analysis from Malik Ouzia I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice Arne Slot insists he did not hear Chelsea fans booing the guard of honour given to his Liverpool players as he hinted at potential new signings for the champions this summer Chelsea abided by established Premier League tradition at Stamford Bridge as their players lined up to applaud their Reds counterparts as they came out of the tunnel ahead of Sunday’s game, with the visitors having wrapped up the title with four games to spare by coming from behind to thrash Tottenham 5-1 at Anfield last weekend Clubs are under no obligation to perform what is an entirely voluntary gesture, though Blues boss Enzo Maresca and defender Marc Cucurella had both publicly confirmed in the days leading up to the game that they would give Liverpool the guard of honour that they said they deserved - with title rivals Arsenal Brighton and Crystal Palace all expected to follow suit over the coming weeks There were loud boos from the home fans as the guard of honour was performed on Sunday, but Slot was more focused on the non-stop title party that continued in the away end at the Bridge despite travel difficulties and a 3-1 defeat for his side “I only heard our fans during almost the whole game I just heard that they couldn't come here on trains But they were on time and they were loud throughout the whole game I haven't heard anyone booing - I only heard our fans singing.” Slot followed through on his promise to rotate his squad against Chelsea with the title already clinched making six changes from the thumping win over Spurs 'A machine': Palmer reveals Chelsea's best player after Liverpool win Maresca reveals possible '15-day' Chelsea injury blow before big games Chelsea have real belief as Liverpool lack intensity after title party Enter the AXA Startup Angel competition to win £25,000 His much-altered team lacked intensity for long periods in west London though forced a grandstand finish when Virgil van Dijk’s late header made it 2-1 with five minutes to play after he had accidentally caused Jarell Quansah’s unfortunate own goal earlier in the second half to follow a third-minute Enzo Fernandez strike then stepped up in the closing seconds of stoppage time to coolly dispatch a penalty beyond Alisson after Quansah had fouled Moises Caicedo finally ending his run of 18 matches without a goal across all competitions Such a defeat with a largely second-string side in many areas will only add to calls that Liverpool need to strengthen their squad this summer in a bid to successfully defend their title with Georgia international goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili already set to arrive from LaLiga outfit Valencia in a £35million deal agreed last September Asked if he felt there was a big summer ahead in terms of recruitment Slot told Sky Sports: “It’s already a big summer because we extended Virgil and Mo [Salah’s contracts] For large parts of the season I don’t think everybody expected that so for us to keep them is already a big thing “We will see what the summer will bring but I’ve said many times I’m really happy with the squad we have but it is also true that it’s the second year in a row these players are together “Sometimes it can be good to bring some fresh energy as well but last year we decided just to keep them all We won the league and we kept Virgil and Mo.” On potentially adding to a winning team and “striking while the iron is hot” in the transfer market but only if we see a chance in the market or if we can see someone who can improve us “It’s not so easy to improve this team because it’s already a team that won the Premier League so good against Paris Saint-Germain at home [in the Champions League last 16] but unfortunately we lost that on penalties.” Federico Chiesa is the only player to have joined Liverpool during Slot’s tenure so far but has been a peripheral figure on Merseyside since arriving from Juventus in a cut-price deal worth around £12.5m last summer He is expected to be given a chance to prove himself in the final weeks of the season but was restricted to a late substitute’s role against Chelsea despite the Reds trailing as he eventually replaced left-back Kostas Tsimikas in the 82nd minute to make a fifth league appearance of the season that will guarantee him a winners’ medal Many fans were disappointed not to see Chiesa given more of a runout at Stamford Bridge with Slot explaining when asked why he took so long to introduce the Italian: “Because I decided to bring other players in first because I already brought Darwin [Nunez] in so that wasn't a position I could bring him in he played a really good game and I've changed him and took him out in the last few weeks many times already Mo is always a player that can score a goal so that's why I first made different substitutions I would almost say what people expect from me over here is we take an extra risk but not enough time left for him to make the difference Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash in London 'shut down' by council over noise complaints David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash 'shut down' over noise complaints UK tourists face major travel shake-up as Dubai airport set to close Royals watch historic flypast as huge crowds turns out for VE Day 80th anniversary  Royals watch historic Red Arrows flypast for VE Day 80th anniversary paving the way for a free transfer to Real Madrid The 26-year-old confirmed the decision on his social media channels on Monday. He informed the Liverpool head coach, Arne Slot, that he would not be signing a contract extension at the end of March but kept the news private to avoid distracting from the club’s successful pursuit of the Premier League title He is believed to have verbally agreed a five-year contract with Real Madrid that reports in Spain claim will be worth around £7.5m a year after tax Confirmation of Alexander-Arnold’s exit as a free agent is a major setback for Liverpool although the club believes it did everything within its power to convince the homegrown defender to stay He was offered a new contract at Anfield that would have made him the best paid full-back in the Premier League and one of the highest paid full-backs in the world the player’s desire for a fresh challenge usurped the financial and sporting package on offer at Liverpool Upheaval at the top of the club – from sporting directors leaving to having to find a successor to Jürgen Klopp last year – meant talks over a new deal for Alexander-Arnold did not commence formally until Slot was appointed in May 2024 Richard Hughes made the first approach to Alexander-Arnold’s representatives before officially starting as Liverpool’s new sporting director on 1 June last year but it became clear in March that the England international was set on a move to Spain and Liverpool would not be able to retain him as well as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk both of whom recently signed new two-year contracts “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,” said Alexander-Arnold “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 View image in fullscreenTrent Alexander-Arnold has made more than 350 appearances for Liverpool winning the Champions League and two Premier League titles Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA“This club has been my whole life – my whole world – for 20 years taking myself out of my comfort zone and pushing myself both professionally and personally “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 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 Alexander-Arnold joined Liverpool’s youth ranks at the age of six and made his first-team debut in a League Cup tie against Tottenham in October 2016 He has gone on to make 352 appearances for his boyhood club scoring 23 goals and winning the Champions League He has long been linked with a move to Real and the sense that he was destined to join the Spanish giants only strengthened after they made a £20m bid for the player on New Year’s Eve that was rejected immediately by Liverpool The club knew they risked losing an asset for nothing this summer but were determined not to undermine their chances of winning the Premier League title Liverpool could receive a compensation fee for Alexander-Arnold if he joins Real before his contract expires on 30 June Real are competing in the Club World Cup this summer and are entitled to register new players from 1-10 June it is unclear when Alexander-Arnold will complete his move to the Bernabéu “Alexander-Arnold will depart with our gratitude and appreciation for his contribution during a sustained period of success,” read a Liverpool statement The player will remain part of Slot’s squad for the final three games of the season and for the presentation of the Premier League trophy after the finale against Crystal Palace on 25 May Liverpool have announced that Trent Alexander-Arnold will be leaving the club when his contract at Anfield expires at the end of the season Alexander-Arnold’s departure this summer, reportedly to Real Madrid, will bring an end to a 20-year spell at his boyhood team during which he made 257 Premier League appearances, helping Liverpool to win the title in 2019/20 and 2024/25 and finish as runners-up in 2018/19 and 2021/22 “I think first and foremost, I want to say it’s not an easy decision and there’s a lot of thought and feeling that has gone into it," Alexander-Arnold told the club's official website. "I’ve been here 20 years now, loved every single minute of it, achieved all my dreams, achieved everything I’ve ever wanted to here. “Giving everything day in, day out for 20 years, I’ve got to a point now where I feel like I need a new change, a new challenge for me as a player and as a person. And I think now is the right time for me to do that. "There’s a lot I would like to say. The main thing is a massive thank you. You guys have been there from the start with me, you guys have supported me, been there. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Trent Alexander-Arnold (@trentarnold66) everything that you guys have done has never been unnoticed by me I hope they have felt that has been reciprocated and that I’ve given everything I could to the club “I’m just hoping that we’re able to carry on winning games the noise [around my decision] doesn’t take away from the fact of what we’ve achieved this season It has been amazing to be part of it and I just hope that everyone is able to maybe not dwell on this news for too long and be able to celebrate what the rest of the lads have done.” Liverpool said: "Alexander-Arnold will depart with our gratitude and appreciation for his contribution during a sustained period of success.” Alexander-Arnold has played a part in 72 clean sheets but as an attacking full-back he has provided 82 goal involvements (18 goals first joined the Merseyside club as a six-year-old and rose through the ranks of Liverpool's academy where he mainly played as a midfielder Alexander-Arnold captained Liverpool's Under-16 and Under-18 teams but it was his switch from a midfield role to defence that fast-tracked his breakthrough into the first team Having been handed a senior debut as an 18-year-old by Jurgen Klopp in the EFL Cup in October 2016 Alexander-Arnold never looked back and the creative ability he had developed as a midfielder became a game-changing attribute at right-back Alexander-Arnold became an integral part of a Liverpool side that lifted four trophies in 14 months After winning the UEFA Champions League in 2018/19 he helped the Reds to claim the Premier League FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2019/20 - a season in which he passed the 100-appearances mark for his boyhood club his importance to Klopp was underlined by the fact he featured in all 38 matches en route to Liverpool's first English league title since 1990 A mural on the side of a house in Liverpool pays tribute to Alexander-Arnold with his famous words from after winning the Champions League "I am just a normal lad from Liverpool whose dream has just come true." Alexander-Arnold contributed 13 Premier League assists during 2019/20 – a record for a defender – having bettered his tally of 12 in 2018/19 His emergence as a world-class right-back was confirmed The No 66's leadership qualities did not go unnoticed by head coach Klopp and in December 2020 he became the youngest player to captain Liverpool in European competition in a 1-1 UEFA Champions League draw with Midtyjlland Alexander-Arnold signed a new long-term deal the following summer and went on to deliver stellar performances throughout the 2021/22 season, winning November's EA SPORT Player of the Month award the second time he had claimed the accolade he went on to produce a career-best 18 assists in all competitions - including 12 in the Premier League - across a 63-match campaign in which Alexander-Arnold reached another Champions League final and picked up EFL Cup and FA Cup winner's medals Alexander-Arnold's exceptional versatility and vision led to him being given a new inverted full-back role towards the end of the following campaign This switch proved a catalyst for an improved run of form and in the same month when he produced the 50th Premier League assist of his career he became the first player to assist a goal in five consecutive top-flight matches on two occasions Despite injury restricting him to 28 appearances in 2023/24 Alexander-Arnold still recorded seven goal involvements (three goals he has three goals and six assists during another injury-affected campaign Michael Owen and Steve Cooper discuss the top-five race and who they think will be in the competition next season Your entry has been submitted successfully Please check your email for further information Northern Football CorrespondentMonday May 05 2025 The TimesAs Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped off his shirt after scoring at Leicester City and then danced in front of the Kop to celebrate Premier League title success it appeared there was nowhere else he would rather be His passion for Liverpool came spilling out as dreams were being realised and those giddy images do not now need to be reappraised following confirmation he is leaving this summer on a free transfer Alexander-Arnold is not departing because he has fallen out of love with the club he joined at the age of six or because he believes they will not continue to be successful under the head coach Arne Slot Registered in England No. 894646. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF. Alexander-Arnold has confirmed he will be leaving Anfield at the end of the season, but there is no question the two-time Premier League champion and Champions League winner will be departing as a Liverpool great Alexander-Arnold has confirmed he will be leaving Anfield at the end of the season but there is no question the two-time Premier League champion and Champions League winner will be departing as a Liverpool great I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Jurgen Klopp’s favourite assist of his eight and a half years on Merseyside launching some extraordinary passes over vast distances and that no one can replicate Alexander-Arnold’s contribution Yet a century of goal involvements in a Liverpool shirt was remarkable; it was more than Fernando Torres Real may imagine Kylian Mbappe or Vinicius Junior racing on to Alexander-Arnold’s deliveries from deep Superstars of his generation might form part of his rationale for going: he was the youngest of Klopp’s great team and is now leaving a champion side but also a club whose two finest players are in their thirties the apocalyptic scenario of losing three outstanding players for nothing has been averted yet there should still be questions about how it came to this New sporting director Richard Hughes got in touch with the right-back’s representatives even before taking charge and eventually submitted an offer that would have made him one of the best-paid players in his position in the world but the context may have changed in the power vacuum before his appointment Rewind to 2023 and Alexander-Arnold had an excitement at getting the vice-captaincy. It showed Klopp had a long-term plan. In the end, the smooth succession came in the dugout, with Arne Slot taking over from Klopp Much as Alexander-Arnold enjoyed working with Slot the man to eventually inherit Virgil van Dijk’s armband will not be his current deputy For a club who otherwise plan the future well allowing the three contracts to enter the last year during a transitional time at Anfield Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah were always different cases their ages a reason to wait to see if they declined their preference to stay at Anfield giving the club an advantage in negotiations Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold’s friendship with Jude Bellingham is often cited as a factor as his future seemed ever likelier to lie in Spain that Real often capitalise on such situations They do not pay for defenders when they can sign David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger on free transfers Real’s superiority complex might have been apparent in their midwinter attempt to sign Alexander-Arnold as though they could get him when it suited them even if it may work out in the right-back’s favour A free transfer could be more lucrative for him than a £20m transfer They have lacked a specialist right-back for much of this season with Lucas Vazquez and Fede Valverde played out of position they will have two of the finest in the world with the six-time Champions League winner fit again It prompts the question of where they fit in: with Carvajal at centre-back At Liverpool, meanwhile, there is no need to trawl back to 2019 for memories of his commitment. Last week, he was jigging in joy on the Anfield pitch with his fellow full-back and friend Andy Robertson after the title-winning victory over Tottenham there was the arrowed finish at Leicester to take Liverpool to the brink of the title the shirtless celebration in front of the travelling fans It was his first left-footed goal for Liverpool Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Here's how the news broke and Alexander-Arnold's statement Alexander-Arnold 'expected to join Real Madrid' & Bradley the 'next cab off the rank' - Sami Mokbel & Phil McNulty analysis One of the finest attacking full-backs in the world & one of the all-time Premier League defenders? Stats and analysis Reaction from fans is mixed - some wish him well while others say believe he's making the wrong choice Trent Alexander-Arnold has announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, saying it was "the hardest decision he has ever made". 5554Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:43 British Summer Time 5 May15:43 BST 5 May#bbcfootball via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only when Conor Bradley won the player of the season award when on loan to us in 22/23 that he would replace Trent Alexander-Arnold sooner rather than later He was outstanding that season as a 19-year-old and now is ready to step up as the permanent replacement 3183Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 5 May15:39 BST 5 MayGet Involved: #bbcfootball WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only The comments from Liverpool fans about Real are just bitter Real haven't been so good this season but history wise they're the biggest club in the world of course it's going to lure players in Liverpool fans were also quick to turn on Trent after the Real rumours came in 128283Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingAlexander-Arnold's Liverpool statspublished at 15:38 British Summer Time 5 May15:38 BST 5 MayTrent Alexander-Arnold will take some replacing at Liverpool 4531Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:35 British Summer Time 5 May15:35 BST 5 May#bbcfootball It was clear to me for over a year Trent would be leaving so I’m surprised the confirmation took this long to be honest He should go down as a Liverpool legend and get a deserved send off While I wish him the best I don’t wish him success because it’s still Madrid at the end of the day 37448Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWill Alexander-Arnold sign for Real Madrid?published at 15:33 British Summer Time 5 May15:33 BST 5 MayAnd what of the the future 2617Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:30 British Summer Time 5 May15:30 BST 5 May#bbcfootball TAA has delivered some wonderful LFC moments but to leave on a free at a time when we’re stable and Real Madrid are not puts him in the Steve McManaman bracket as the game against a poor Manchester United team showed 32394Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingHow will Liverpool fans react?published at 15:29 British Summer Time 5 May15:29 BST 5 MayPhil McNultyBBC Sport chief football writer Trent Alexander-Arnold's decision to leave Liverpool has deeper significance than most because he is the local boy made good "The Scouser In Our Team" as he was celebrated in song by The Kop Many Liverpool fans will accept his departure to Real Madrid as a fact of modern football life but others will be deeply hurt that someone with such strong ties to the club and city is leaving on a free transfer Anfield's reaction will certainly be interesting to observe in those final two home game against Arsenal then for the Premier League trophy lift against Crystal Palace on 25 May 4613Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:24 British Summer Time 5 May15:24 BST 5 May#bbcfootball 69190Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingMartim Fernandes - Portopublished at 15:22 British Summer Time 5 May15:22 BST 5 MayWho could replace Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool The youngest player of the three - and arguably the one with the greatest potential - is Martim Fernandes who has impressed many since breaking into the Porto first-team this season Fernandes has five assists to his name and at just 19 years of age is already a key creative cog in the side He enjoys playing on the front foot and much like Trent Alexander-Arnold adept at delivering into dangerous zones inside the opposition's six-yard box It is no wonder he is averaging an expected assists (xA) per match figure of 0.3 in the Portuguese top flight The young Portuguese provides an option on the flanks by playing high and wide up the pitch when Porto are attacking but is also capable of adding variety by making darting runs for the centre-backs to pass to beyond the last defensive line of the opposition He shows promising movement while underlapping or overlapping to hit the byline to cross and can manoeuvre in tight spaces to curl a cross into the box Fernandes has averaged an impressive 3.65 crosses per match His composure on the ball under pressure is impressive - and he has an excellent engine for the defensive side of the game 6610Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:18 British Summer Time 5 May15:18 BST 5 May#bbcfootball My three favourite Liverpool memories in chronological order: Rush’s third goal against Everton in the 1986 FA Cup final; Gerrard’s goal against AC Milan to make it 3-1 and start the comeback in the 2005 Champions League final; and Trent’s corner against Barcelona in the 2019 semi-final 40461Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingAnton Gaaei - Ajaxpublished at 15:16 British Summer Time 5 May15:16 BST 5 MayWho could replace Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool Anton Gaaei has progressed quickly to become the first-choice right-back at Ajax this season who joined Ajax after three seasons in the Danish Superliga with Viborg has two goals and four assists in 23 Eredivisie appearances this term What immediately stands out about Gaaei is both the quality and variety of his crossing He is able to generate a lot of power with his right boot to cross the ball from deeper areas or hit the byline and cut back into the box too His trademark is a low cross hit diagonally to go past defenders to connect with on-rushing team-mates Gaaei continues to improve on the defensive side of his game which is helped by his excellent burst of pace in tracking back as well as making useful off-the-ball runs beyond his winger the young Dane is only in his second season in Dutch football so recruiting him would very much be a project signing for Liverpool 496Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 15:14 British Summer Time 5 May15:14 BST 5 MayThis has felt like a bit of a pile-on There has not been a lot of love expressed for the La Liga giants I wonder if there is anyone out there who supports the club and might be able to give a different slant on the kind of welcome and support Trent Alexander-Arnold could expect at the Bernabeu 2171Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 15:12 British Summer Time 5 May15:12 BST 5 May#bbcfootball Now is a good time to leave but Madrid is not the best place to go if you are looking to spread your wings the manager will not teach you anything and your team-mates will not care about you everyone will get shoved into a wood chipper Important to note that will be a metaphorical wood chipper 30648Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingGuela Doue - Strasbourgpublished at 15:07 British Summer Time 5 May15:07 BST 5 MayWho could replace Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool Guela Doue is 32 games into his second full season of senior football in Ligue 1 but is already making plenty of waves at Strasbourg After breaking through in the 2023-24 season at Rennes Doue has demonstrated his versatility since his switch to Strasbourg The 22-year-old Ivory Coast international - brother of Paris St-Germain winger Desire Doue - is a right-back who is well capable of playing as a wide centre-back in a three or as a right wing-back Doue's strengths lie in his ability to defend in one-against-one duels with intensity and move the ball upfield with his passes and carries When he gets the opportunity to bomb forward at right-back Doue likes receiving the ball deeper in his own half before progressing the ball further up the pitch with long passes forward to his winger or striker Doue would be ideal for Slot's backline if they plan to bring in an adventurous full-back on the other side - Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez has been strongly linked with a move 566Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 15:03 British Summer Time 5 May15:03 BST 5 MayRight let's spend a bit of time assessing the right-backs available out there in Europe who could potentially attract interest from Liverpool this summer Football tactics writer Ninad Barbadikar has looked into this question for BBC Sport Here are some of the names he has highlighted.. 209Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 5 May14:53 BST 5 May#bbcfootball Sami mentioned in his article that the prestige of becoming a Galactico is too much of a lure for Trent Mbappe now he’s found his scoring boots and Bellingham The president of the club promises to bring in the best players available Trent isn't arriving as a Galactico and I’m afraid I’ve sat with the home fans enough at the Santiago Bernabeu to know they aren’t very patient Bellingham shows cracks in his temperament when things aren’t perfect 18155Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWill Liverpool miss Alexander-Arnold's assists?published at 14:50 British Summer Time 5 May14:50 BST 5 MayCraig NelsonBBC Sport reporter There is a chance that Arne Slot may switch focus when considering this problem looking for a full-back whose prime aim is to defend while also bolstering his starting XI with an attacking emphasis in other areas the Reds boss may look to bring in two new faces - a direct replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back and a new creative force in midfield is that the way Liverpool attack has evolved under Slot with less emphasis on raids from his full-backs than there has been in the past under Jurgen Klopp The assists in the team have been spread more widely across different areas while Mohamed Salah has continued a trend that has seen him surge past Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool's leading creative force as well as maintaining his role as their top goalscorer Liverpool's leading players for assists in the Premier League over the past six seasons: 6824Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingget involvedGet Involvedpublished at 14:44 British Summer Time 5 May14:44 BST 5 May#bbcfootball Conor Bradley is an incredible back-up to Trent What is it with the Irish Liverpool players being the best back-ups I think Bradley can do a job but they do need to sign a main right-back for at least a few years Jeremie Frimpong would be a great suggestion as he’s quick The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has announced that he will leave Anfield at the end of the season ahead of his imminent transfer to Real Madrid Alexander-Arnold has faced months of rumours about whether he would leave Anfield or sign a new contract at his hometown club The Reds managed to tie down Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk to new two-year deals but talks with Alexander-Arnold had always seemed a bit trickier And, in the end, the Liverpool academy product had his heart set on a move to Real Madrid with Los Blancos seemingly pulling out all the stops to secure his signature There had even been suggestions last month that the Reds – who won the Premier League title eight days ago against Tottenham – had made a last-gasp ‘super offer’ to keep him at Anfield READ MORE: Alexander-Arnold joins list of every Premier League club’s biggest free transfer exit Reliable journalists had always maintained that Alexander-Arnold would leave and the England right-back confirmed that he will depart at the end of the season The statement read: “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 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 “This club has been my whole life – my whole world – for 20 years “I’ve given my all every single day I’ve been at this club 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 My love for this club will never die.” Alexander-Arnold has achieved almost everything during his time at Anfield with the England international winning two Premier League titles a UEFA Super Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup But there have been rumours that one of the main reasons Alexander-Arnold wanted to move to Real Madrid was to attempt to win the Ballon d’Or with players in England often overlooked for the award Liverpool legend John Aldridge reckons speculation over his future impacted Alexander-Arnold’s performances early on this year but he has been key in recent weeks as the Reds won the title Aldridge said: “He went through a tricky spell about a month ago “Maybe it was on his mind because he did go through a sticky patch but we all do that “With what’s surrounding him and the hype he’s got a lot to take on board now.” READ NEXT: Ex-Liverpool star Owen insists only two sides can win the Premier League title next season Tony Robertson Digital Sports ReporterPublished: Invalid Date LIVERPOOL have issued a blunt statement after Trent Alexander-Arnold confirmed he would be leaving the club after 20 years Alexander-Arnold, 26, broke through the Reds' Academy into the first team under Jurgen Klopp and emerged into one of the best right-backs in world football His exploits helped Liverpool land two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup However, in an emotional statement, the defender announced he would be leaving Liverpool when his contract expires this summer The Englishman, who is expected to be heading to Real Madrid on a free transfer after agreeing a five-year deal worth £240,000 a week called it "easily the hardest decision I've ever made in my life" Liverpool made a statement of their own following the news "The 26-year-old will bring his two-decade-long association with the Reds to an end having made the decision to depart Anfield once his deal ceases on June 30, 2025... "Alexander-Arnold joined Liverpool’s Academy at the age of six and progressed through the ranks at youth level before making his senior debut in 2016. "He has gone on to make 352 appearances for the Reds to date, scoring 23 goals and lifting eight major honours, including this season’s Premier League title... "Alexander-Arnold will depart with our gratitude and appreciation for his contribution during a sustained period of success." The club added a statement from Alexander-Arnold in the announcement Alexander-Arnold said: "I think first and foremost I want to say it’s not an easy decision and there’s a lot of thought and feeling that has gone into it achieved everything I’ve ever wanted to here I’ve got to a point now where I feel like I need a new change a new challenge for me as a player and as a person "And I think now is the right time for me to do that." he continued: "There’s a lot I would like to say "You guys have been there from the start with me "I hope they have felt that has been reciprocated and that I’ve given everything I could to the club It has been amazing to be part of it and I just hope that everyone is able to maybe not dwell on this news for too long and be able to celebrate what the rest of the lads have done." Slot is said to have expressed his disappointment but respected the decision telling him: "You’re a huge part of this team and let’s end it on a high together." Alexander-Arnold then replied: "My mindset and commitment won’t change I’ll continue to give everything for this club until the final day." The report adds how fractures began appearing last season when he was left unsettled by fresh contract talks only starting in April He said to have understood the circumstances of why this was the case due to new sporting director Richard Hughes only just starting his role but privately wondered if the 2024/25 season would be his final one at Anfield Hughes' first call in the job was to Alexander-Arnold's camp before subsequent offers would have made the defender the best-paid defender in the Premier League But ultimately, his exit appeared to help pave the way for the club to sign new and improved deals with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, with the pair now reportedly earning £400,000-per-week each In a separate statement directly on social media Alexander-Arnold said: "After 20 years at Liverpool Football Club "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 No.20. "This club has been my whole life – my whole world - for 20 years "From the Academy right through until now "I’ve given my all every single day I’ve been at this club 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 "My love for this club will never die." Alexander-Arnold's expected move to Real Madrid in the summer could happen BEFORE the Club World Cup, though this would mean the Spanish side need to fork out a transfer fee to secure his services in time for the Fifa competition being held in the United States He will be joining fellow England international and close friend Jude Bellingham in Madrid after he joined the club for £115million in July 2023 TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD looks set to join Real Madrid this summer and will join an exclusive club to pull on the famous white jersey So had did those who came before him get on Real Madrid splashed out £950,000 to sign Cunningham from West Brom in 1979 As one of the "Three Degrees" alongside Cyrille Regis and Brendon Batson Cunningham had left an unforgettable mark at the Hawthorns The left winger became an instant hit in the Spanish capital Cunningham helped his side to the LaLiga title in 1980 and played in the European Cup final against Liverpool the following year Following a loan spell with Manchester United Cunningham returned to Madrid with Rayo Vallecano in 1988 The following year he tragically died in a car crash in the city aged just 33 McManaman left boyhood club Liverpool for the bright lights of Madrid in 1999 The Bernabeu crowd immediately took to their new English hero McManaman helped Real win six trophies in four years and scored his side's second goal in their victorious 2000 Champions League final spending the final two years of his career with Manchester City McManaman worked as a pundit for Setanta Sports he can regularly be seen on TNT Sports' football coverage especially when Liverpool or Real Madrid are playing Real Madrid made Manchester United superstar Beckham their latest Galactico Golden Balls joined a squad boasting the likes of Ronaldo Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Carlos in the Spanish capital Despite his love for high-end fashion and the celebrity lifestyle Beckham became much beloved in Spain for his incredible work rate the fabled La Decima - a tenth Champions League triumph - eluded Real Madrid during his four-year stint winning the LaLiga title in 2007 before leaving for LA Galaxy Since Beckham hung up his boots in 2013 he has continued to have several endorsement deals; including the likes of Adidas and played a big role in their groundbreaking deal for Lionel Messi in 2023 But the former Ballon d'Or winner endured a frustrating season at the Bernabeu finding himself stuck behind Ronaldo and Raul Twelve months on from Owen's £8million switch Real Madrid doubled their money by flogging him to Newcastle Owen then spent three years with Liverpool's rivals Man Utd Owen signed up to be BT Sport's primary co-commentator upon the channel's launch the former striker has enjoyed several other ventures while he also appeared on The Masked Singer Woodgate endured one of the most infamous debuts of all time after switching Newcastle for Real Madrid in 2004 The luckless defender went through injury hell following the £13.4m transfer having to wait 17 months before playing his first game the England international headed into his own net Things then got even worse when he was sent off just after the hour mark before a loan move to Middlesbrough effectively ended his Real Madrid career Woody earned a move to Tottenham in January 2008 He won the League Cup barely a month later and remains the last Spurs player to score a winning goal in a cup final Following spells with Stoke and back at Middlesbrough returned to Middlesbrough once again in 2022 where he works as a first team coach under Michael Carrick England superstar Bellingham sealed a blockbuster £115m transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid in the summer of 2023 with the midfielder immediately excelling in Spain and went on net five times in his first four LaLiga matches The image of the 21-year-old with his arms outstretched has quickly become an iconic one Birmingham's finest has already won LaLiga and the Champions League during his young career And with Alexander-Arnold soon to be alongside him Bellingham will feel that he can add plenty more to his already impressive trophy tally Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ Trent Alexander-Arnold was willing to sign a contract extension at Anfield with a trusted reporter detailing the crippling misstep Liverpool made Alexander-Arnold is heading to Real Madrid with the right-back confirming on Monday morning that he’s leaving his boyhood club Fabrizio Romano gave a switch to the Bernabeu his signature “here we go” confirmation while Paul Joyce and David Ornstein have both pointed towards the Spanish capital When providing greater context on the move, The Times’ Paul Joyce – widely regarded as the No 1 journalist on all matters Liverpool – revealed why the right-back is leaving Joyce claimed Alexander-Arnold was seeking the one thing Liverpool cannot offer – a fresh challenge in football the reporter also claimed there was a time when Alexander-Arnold would have gladly put pen to paper on an extension the club failed to strike when the iron was hot and the end result is they’ll now lose a highly saleable asset for nothing Joyce wrote: ‘The safe option [for Alexander-Arnold] would have been to sign another deal at Liverpool (although an unmotivated player on a long deal would have become a problem) and there was a time when Alexander-Arnold did not envisage anything else ‘The 2022-23 campaign had proved a difficult one for him although he felt revitalised by the hybrid role Klopp had asked him to perform when shifting from right back into midfield and conducting the play ‘All of Liverpool’s previous contract dealings with Alexander-Arnold indicated they would have come to the negotiating table that summer when he had two years left and the background noise about Real Madrid’s interest was already audible ‘Perhaps they wanted to see whether his form could be maintained but there was not the same intent from the club ‘A delay can also be explained by the fact it coincided with a period of unprecedented flux behind the scenes ‘Julian Ward stood down just a year after succeeding Michael Edwards as sporting director the president of Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and soon into the new campaign Klopp doubted whether he had the appetite to continue Klopp privately informed Gordon in November 2023 he would be leaving at the end of that season and appointing a new hierarchy became the priority The appointment of Richard Hughes as sporting director accelerated discussions his very first call was to Alexander-Arnold’s representatives in April 2024 and a formal offer was presented that month after Slot’s appointment ‘Hughes inherited what one colleague described as a “s!@* sandwich” but is understood to have handled the situation impressively There has been no animosity at the prospect of a valuable asset leaving for nothing ‘If the argument can be made that Liverpool were slow to talk terms then there has been a sense in recent months that whatever was presented would not have been enough to entice the player to stay.’ Real Madrid had originally hoped to bring Alexander-Arnold on board in time to feature in the Club World Cup The revamped and expanded tournament gets underway on June 14 and the entirety of Real’s group phase campaign takes place in June That posed a problem for Los Blancos given Alexander-Arnold’s contract doesn’t expire until June 30 There has been talk of Real Madrid being willing to pay a small transfer fee However, David Ornstein claimed Alexander-Arnold’s contract is set to be valid from July meaning he would not be signed and registered in time to feature in the group stage ⭐️ Trent Alexander-Arnold done deal: The best free-agent signings Real Madrid have ever made ⭐️ Trent Alexander-Arnold: Nine Liverpool replacement options as Real Madrid move confirmed ⭐️ Trent Alexander-Arnold done deal: The last 10 players Real Madrid convinced to leave their local team The Trent Alexander-Arnold saga is finally over. He’s just confirmed that he’ll be departing Liverpool at the end of the 2024-25 campaign when his current deal expires Alexander-Arnold will wave goodbye to his boyhood club having won a second Premier League title to go with his Champions League He’s notched 23 goals and 92 assists in 352 appearances for the Reds We’ve identified five potential options that Liverpool can target to replace Alexander-Arnold this summer This is the one attracting the most tabloid gossip The Manchester City academy graduate has developed into a brilliant footballer one of the standout superstars of Xabi Alonso’s Invincible Bundesliga champions last term He notched nine goals and seven assists as Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern’s era of domestic dominance The one question mark is whether he’d be quite as impressive as a traditional full-back outside of Alonso’s system in which he operated more like a flying winger Watching Inter and Barcelona’s madcap Champions League semi-final the other night we were left with the feeling that people will be talking about Lamine Yamal’s performance for years to come But who was named UEFA’s Man of the Match that evening The Netherlands international set up Marcus Thuram’s inspired opener after just 30 seconds before demonstrating his set-piece prowess by scoring their second and third Dumfries would offer experience and serious he’d also be the right kind of profile that doesn’t completely block Conor Bradley’s opportunities and pathway into the first team What might be best for Liverpool is bringing in a proven dependable player that can serve for two or three seasons while Bradley continues to learn the ropes and shake off his injury niggles The Inter full-back would fit the bill on that front We’re not entirely sure about this one given Tottenham’s struggles this season But according to FBref‘s complex statistical algorithm the Spain international is the closest right-back in terms of profile to Alexander-Arnold across European football over the past 365 days and actually has as many Premier League assists (six) as Liverpool’s homegrown hero this season There are similar question marks over his defending but Liverpool haven’t done too badly with Alexander-Arnold in recent times gone by Put Porro in a more functional team and he might just thrive The fact that Manchester City have been seriously linked tells you there’s a player there we’re (obviously) completely aware that De Bruyne is not a right-back You’ve seen that famous ‘Moneyball’ scene you’re still trying to replace Giambi,” says Billy Beane played by Brad Pitt in the glossy Hollywood adaptation what we might be able to do is re-create him but more importantly there’s a void of creativity to fill Alexander-Arnold is one of the most prolific assisters in the Premier League in recent years They’re not going to find another full-back with his passing range De Bruyne might be the only player with a more impressive playmaking highlights reel in the Premier League over the last 10 years Says he “still has a lot to give” and is open to remaining in the Premier League His kids go to the same school as Virgil van Dijk’s and his family could remain settled where they are Alexander Arnold’s departure leaves some wiggle room when it comes to wages and Liverpool could probably do with more depth in midfield as things are A two-year deal would make a weird amount of sense READ: De Bruyne to Liverpool!? 6 Premier League transfers that messed with our head This one wouldn’t get the blood pumping among the kind of modern-day fanatics who spent their summer refreshing Fabrizio Romano’s Twitter feed The 28-year-old has been among the Premier League’s best right-backs this season one of Nottingham Forest’s most reliable individuals as they punch above well their weight to challenge for Champions League qualification Aina would by no means elevate Slot’s first team but he’d be the kind of unglamorous but solid addition that are the unheralded backbone of successful squads required to compete on multiple fronts although there are suggestions Forest hold a one-year extension option so scrimping on a right-back might not be the worst idea Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters is also out of contract at the end of the season and would offer an alternative option if Liverpool are looking to bulk out their Slot’s squad while promoting Bradley to a more prominent place in the pecking order READ NEXT: The 11 most valuable full-backs in world football: Alexander-Arnold tops the list… TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the 20 defenders with the most assists in Premier League history? The 6 managers Cristiano Ronaldo scored fewer than 10 goals under: Ten Hag 5 top footballers we can’t believe are still awaiting their first major honour 9 footballers who refused to celebrate after scoring against their former club 6 of the most infamous guards of honour in football history: Chelsea 7 free agents we’d love to see in the Baller League UK A combined XI from promoted & relegated clubs that could achieve Premier League survival The clubs with the most league titles in world football: Celtic Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler believes his former club should break with tradition and sign an experienced 18-cap England frontman to lead their attack next season having explained why Arne Slot will have to reluctantly walk away from a deal for Newcastle’s Alexander Isak The Merseysiders are still in dreamland after wrapping up the Premier League title with four games to spare, capping off what has been a truly magnificent first season at Anfield for Slot. But with the Dutchman keen to put his own stamp down on the side and create a long-lasting dynasty at Liverpool Slot has been cleared to spend big money on player upgrades this summer With TEAMtalk transfer insider Fraser Fletcher first breaking news in February of a likely £200m budget and what sources described to him as a ‘historic summer’ we have been told that the Liverpool priorties this summer will focus on three positions: a long-term heir for Virgil van Dijk a left-back to ultimately take the place of Andy Robertson and a new striker capable of scoring goals and who can take some of the burden off Mo Salah’s shoulders The hunt for a new No.9 is certainly an intriguing one Slot’s dream signing is understood to be Newcastle frontman Isak The Swede has enjoyed another excellent season scoring 26 times in 39 appearances and delivering the sort of performances that make him one of the world’s most coveted strikers with Newcastle likely to demand a fee in excess of £130m – comfortably a new British record – Liverpool are likely to find themselves priced out of a move But speaking to The i, Fowler has encouraged the Reds to break with tradition and move to sign Aston Villa frontman Ollie Watkins instead “The problem is clubs know that they are potentially on the lookout for a number nine so the prices will become silly,” Fowler began Liverpool’s transfer model sees them sign players who are still to enter their peak years; making superstars Fowler is encouraging a move for 29-year-old Watkins who has 171 goals from 466 career appearances “You could look at Ollie Watkins,” Fowler adds “He doesn’t really fit the model in terms of what Liverpool want but I’d go and get him for a couple of years because he’s a tremendous player and established and experienced in the Premier League.” READ MORE 🔴 Ten strikers on Liverpool radar  Slot could turn to as Darwin Nunez upgrade While Aston Villa had no hesitation rejecting a cheeky lowball offer from Arsenal in January for Watkins a summer sale could yet be on the cards if Unai Emery’s side are presented with an attractive offer for the 18-times capped England striker And with the Midlanders looking to reinvest in their squad to help fund deals for several top targets – loanee Marcus Rashford among them – Watkins could find himself a surprise victim of Emery and Monchi’s plans to establish Villa as one of English football’s leading clubs while he is a player of interest to the Reds they are instead expected to pursue a deal for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike instead though could seek a fee as high as €100m (£85m the wiry 6ft 3in frontman is now the striker the Reds are ‘most interested in’ this summer In a Q&A in the Daily Mail the journalist replied: “Hugo Ekitike is the name that pops up the most when I speak to people so I think it is fair to say he is one to keep a close eye on “The France Under 21 star has scored 19 goals and made eight assists for Eintracht Frankfurt this season and ticks a lot of boxes in terms of his age profile and experience – he is playing every week in a top league and has European experience Meanwhile, Liverpool are reported to have sanctioned Trent Alexander-Arnold’s early departure to Real Madrid before his deal is due to officially expire with the move to net the Reds a welcome financial boost – while Richard Hughes has also held talks over a deal for a top Brazilian star tipped as his replacement Elsewhere, Liverpool have named their price to allow Caoimhin Kelleher to leave Anfield this summer Leeds and Chelsea all learning his likely next destination And finally, Slot has also given the green light for Liverpool to reward one of their lowest-earning first-team stars with a new mega-money deal after convincing the Reds boss he is worth keeping around Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed he is leaving Liverpool and with a Real Madrid agreement now in place a top source has revealed the reasoning behind the switch Football’s worst kept secret is now out in the open, with Alexander-Arnold confirming his time at Liverpool will conclude this summer The right-back broke the news on his social media accounts, while trusted journalists, Paul Joyce, David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano all stated his future lays with Real Madrid Taking to X, Romano wrote: “BREAKING: Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid “Decision to leave Liverpool now confirmed as Trent says goodbye to the club after winning one more PL title “Documents being prepared for Trent to join Real Madrid on a 5 year contract Ornstein stated: “Trent Alexander-Arnold will leave Liverpool when his contract expires this summer “Alexander-Arnold is expected to join Real Madrid as a free agent with sources in Spain — speaking anonymously to protect relationships — suggesting a proposed six-year agreement to join the La Liga side has now entered its final stages and is on course to be signed in the coming weeks.” But it was The Times’ Paul Joyce who offered perhaps the most intriguing angle on the tale when clarifying why Alexander-Arnold is leaving… Alexander-Arnold can win the biggest prizes in the game at Anfield and if staying could have gone on to book his place as one of Liverpool’s all-time greats Joyce stated the one thing Alexander-Arnold craves is the one thing Liverpool cannot offer – a new challenge Joyce wrote: “Alexander-Arnold is not departing because he has fallen out of love with the club he joined at the age of six or because he believes they will not continue to be successful under the head coach Arne Slot he would like to go back to Anfield and watch as a supporter he simply wants to try something totally new and fresh That is the one thing Liverpool could not offer “In his family’s executive box at Anfield there is a chart on the wall that chronicles Alexander-Arnold’s progress while also providing a nod and a wink to his shirt number “Under the heading “Route 66” it shows milestones ranging from his first session at the club’s academy to captaining the Under-16s a first goal through to being nominated for the Ballon d’Or There are 38 landmarks in total and that only takes him through to December 2020 “By the age of 23 years and 219 days Alexander-Arnold had done it all with Liverpool The youngest player at an English club ever to complete that set “Slot has challenged him since succeeding Jürgen Klopp trying to make him better defensively and refining his role He has ensured the managerial transition has been successful and there would be goals to achieve next term it would essentially be about conquering what has come to feel familiar Walking into a different dressing room and having to prove himself again to a set of teammates and coaches Forget about the friendship with his England team-mate Jude Bellingham being a deciding factor.” Cole Palmer finally ends his 18-game goal drought as confident Blues see off the champions in massive win at Stamford Bridge Chelsea vs Liverpool LIVE Chelsea produced arguably their best win of the season so far on Sunday as much-changed champions Liverpool were defeated 3-1 at Stamford Bridge Cole Palmer ended his long goal drought that had stood at 18 games across all competitions with a last-gasp penalty to set the seal on a momentous victory after Moises Caicedo had been fouled inside the box by Jarell Quansah A late header from a corner from Virgil van Dijk had set up a nervy finish in west London, halving Chelsea’s lead after the Liverpool captain had earlier inadvertently seen a clearance hit Quansah and bounce in for an unfortunate own goal. The Blues led after only three minutes when Enzo Fernandez finished off a sweeping move involving Romeo Lavia, Palmer and Pedro Neto, scoring Chelsea’s earliest home Premier League goal since 2017 The result took Enzo Maresca’s resurgent side level on points with Newcastle in fourth with a massive game to come at St James’ Park next weekend in the battle for a top-five finish after the home second leg of their Conference League semi-final tie against Djurgarden will look to bounce back against former title rivals Arsenal at Anfield Follow Chelsea vs Liverpool reaction live below 97 mins: The long goal drought is over and a huge three points for Chelsea guaranteed as Alisson dives the right way but hasn’t got a chance of keeping out Palmer’s pacey penalty 95 mins: Chelsea are going to see this out with a number of bitty fouls breaking up play and now Bradley getting into it Quansah fouls Caicedo and Chelsea have a last-gasp penalty at the death 92 mins: Gary Neville names Cole Palmer as his man of the match on Sky Sports despite that goal drought looking set to extend once again 90 mins: Chelsea force a corner but their big threats from defence are wisely told to stay at home by Maresca We will have FIVE added minutes at Stamford Bridge Standard Sport’s Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge Not sure Enzo Fernandez is the player I’d be taking off here He’s Chelsea’s best midfielder in terms of ball retention and knows a trick or two when it comes to slowing things down and wasting time 88 mins: Chelsea captain Reece James replaces Fernandez 86 mins: Chelsea try to quickly restore their two-goal cushion as Palmer’s curling strike forces a save from Alisson before Neto lashes into row z 85 mins: A nervy finish ahead at Stamford Bridge as Van Dijk is again left in way too much space to power home a header from Mac Allister’s corner Arsenal are ready to make a ‘massive offer’ to sign West Ham attacking midfielder Mohamed Kudus in the summer transfer window The Gunners are on the lookout for a new attacking options ahead of the summer transfer market after their goals dried up slightly in the second half of the season Liverpool were confirmed as Premier League champions eight days ago with four games to spare after they beat Tottenham 5-1 Arsenal have now turned their full attention to the Champions League with Mikel Arteta’s side facing Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday evening attempting to overturn a one goal deficit in the second leg of their semi-final As well as concentrating on the Champions League they have turned focus on to finding new players to improve Arteta’s starting XI ahead of next season Arsenal have been playing midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker in recent months after both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz picked up season-ending injuries in the early part of the year Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have also spent time out of the side with injury this season and now Arteta sees the need for attacking improvements ahead of the summer It is likely that they will bring in a new centre-forward but a new winger or attacking midfielder is also on the agenda and a report in Spanish website Fichajes insists that Arsenal are ‘preparing’ a ‘massive offer’ for West Ham star Kudus Kudus can play anywhere across the attacking line with his best performances coming off the left-hand side this season The Ghana international has been identified by Arsenal ‘as an ideal asset to boost their quality’ and are ‘willing to make a significant financial commitment to secure his services.’ Sources ‘close to the player haven’t ruled out a change of scenery’ in the summer transfer window as the West Ham attacker ‘feels the time has come to take a step forward and become part of a more ambitious project’ A potential move to Arsenal ‘fits with his sporting aspirations as well as his desire to remain in the English capital’ while the ‘figure being considered for the possible transfer is around 70 million euros a considerable but affordable investment for the Emirates Stadium team’ It is understood that there have been no formal moves but West Ham ‘know that retaining the Ghanaian will be a difficult task if Arsenal’s interest ultimately materialises’ Liverpool are also reportedly interested with former Manchester United and Tottenham scout Mick Brown insisting Kudus “wants to make that move” to Anfield Brown told Football Insider last week: “Liverpool have been looking at Mohammed Kudus “He wants to make that move and will jump at the opportunity if an offer arrives He scored his first goal of the year against Brighton and all season he’s only got four – for a player of his ability and talent “The way he plays is going to catch your eye but for most of the game he’s not doing enough “I think that’s the conclusion Liverpool will come to as will other clubs who have been watching “He certainly isn’t doing enough to convince these clubs it would be worth spending £80million on him.” Leaving a club the size of Liverpool is a huge decision for any footballer – and this lot all came to regret their choice to leave Anfield As Trent Alexander-Arnold announces his decision to move to Real Madrid many former Reds will be reflecting on their own decision to leave prematurely We’ve picked out 11 players who should’ve stayed at Liverpool with the benefit of hindsight but the formation of Jurgen Klopp’s great all-conquering Liverpool team can probably be traced back to the sale of Coutinho in 2018 Having received £200million for Neymar six months previously Barcelona panicked and splurged a huge proportion of that world-record fee on signing Coutinho Liverpool reinvested the cash they received far more wisely by using the cash they received for the Brazilian playmaker to bring in game-changers Virgil van Dijk and Alisson capable of producing extraordinary moments But he was never able to recapture that at the Camp Nou from Aston Villa speaks volumes about how things have gone for him Wijnaldum was a key cog in a Liverpool midfield that won the Champions League and Premier League in successive seasons Part of a wider theme here with players Jurgen Klopp got the best out of Wijnaldum sought a new challenge when his contract expired in 2021 and reportedly rejected Ronald Koeman’s Barcelona for better wages at PSG He failed to impress in Paris and was loaned out to Jose Mourinho’s Roma after just one season But he suffered a broken leg and failed to kick on at the Stadio Olimpico he’s turning out as the captain of Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League Surely he’d have been better served staying at Anfield Torres left Liverpool and went on to win the Champions League scoring one of the most iconic goals in Chelsea’s recent history at the Camp Nou and sealing their spot in the 2012 final in the process El Nino was never the same player in Chelsea blue as he was in Liverpool red he looked unrecognisable to the fearless forward who used to bully Nemanja Vidic for sport Torres scored 81 goals in 145 appearances for Liverpool but only 45 goals in 172 outings for the Blues Owen still defends both his decision to leave Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2004 and his goal tally during his short-lived time in Spain Sixteen goals from a season in which he saw limited game time isn’t as bad as you might think But Liverpool won the Champions League immediately after the striker departed and you can divide Owen’s career into two distinct categories: his time at Anfield and his time after The first where he was one of the world’s best strikers and scoring goals for fun and the latter where he was serviceable at best for Madrid recurring hamstring injuries probably have more to do with that than the team he happened to be representing Fowler wasn’t just a player; he was ‘God’ the striker became an unquestionable Liverpool legend netting a whopping 120 Premier League goals in just 236 appearances who preferred the more prosaic Emile Heskey as Owen’s strike partner His time at Elland Road was followed by a spell with Manchester City with Fowler not quite recapturing the magic of his Liverpool days A return to Anfield in 2006 was an admittance from the player and perhaps the club that ‘God’ should never have been allowed to leave Crouch has previously confessed that leaving Liverpool for Portsmouth in 2008 was the ‘biggest club regret’ of his career admitting he would’ve loved to have been a ‘one-club man’ “It would have been brilliant to be a one-club man or to spend 10 years at a particular place,” the former England striker told the Daily Mail in 2020 “My biggest club regret is leaving Liverpool too early but circumstances meant I had little option.” Seeing the likes of Andriy Voronin and David Ngog lead the line 18 months later stung I couldn’t help but think I left too early,” Crouch admitted Mane is only three months older than Mohamed Salah while the Egyptian King continues to tear it up for Liverpool Mane soon dropped off the footballing map completely after leaving Anfield in 2022 His move to Bayern Munich was nothing short of a disaster he was unceremoniously shipped out to the Saudi Pro League The Senegal international might be pottering along for Al-Ittihad but surely he could’ve played for Liverpool for a few more years at least Informed by Jurgen Klopp that he would no longer be one of the first names on the team-sheet after an indifferent 2022-23 campaign Henderson decided it was time to seek pastures new Those pastures turned out to be in the Middle East as Henderson moved to Saudi Arabia to reunite with Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq The move would be a disaster for the midfielder shredding his previous reputation as an LGBTQ ally and only lasting six months before scampering back to Europe Henderson now plays for Ajax and is on the verge of captaining the Dutch giants to the Eredivisie title READ: Jordan Henderson & 7 other footballers that absolutely f*cked it with ill-advised transfers Despite being offered a new contract at Liverpool in 2018, the German midfielder rejected the extension and signed a bumper deal with Juventus instead. “I had a lot of offers from very good teams,” Can said at the time. “I decided to come to Juventus because I think the project here is very big. They have very big aims. I want to be part of the project here.” Ultimately, the move didn’t really work out and Can had to watch from afar as the Reds won the Champions League and Premier League over the next two seasons. Rush never really settled at Juventus, although that famous “it was like living in a foreign country” line is by all accounts apocryphal. Liverpool’s all-time top goalscorer believes that his short stint in Italy actually improved him as a footballer for his second wildly prolific spell on Merseyside. “At Juventus I learned to be a better all-round player,” Rush told FourFourTwo. “I went to Italy as a goalscorer and came back a better footballer. At Liverpool, because we had such a great team, my job was just to be in and around the box. “In Italy I was around the pitch more, getting back to the halfway line and everything.” That’s fair enough. But he only scored seven Serie A goals, never won anything with Italy’s most dominant force, and surely wouldn’t have returned to Liverpool so soon if he’d delivered in Turin. If you’re not counting Juve, you can count Leeds after his second Anfield farewell. He only scored three Premier League goals for the Yorkshire club in an instantly forgettable footnote to a remarkable career. With 23 England caps under his belt, Barmby was part of that golden Liverpool era around the millennium when the Reds won an unprecedented cup treble. In 2002, at the peak of his powers, Barmby swapped Anfield for Elland Road, inking a deal with Leeds United. He’d joined Leeds at just the wrong time; the bankrupt Yorkshire outfit were relegated two years later with Barmby having made just 25 appearances. The 6 managers Cristiano Ronaldo scored fewer than 10 goals under: Ten Hag, Solskjaer… 6 of the most infamous guards of honour in football history: Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd… The clubs with the most league titles in world football: Celtic, Rangers, Olympiacos… The right-back is expected to join Real Madrid at the conclusion of his contract at Anfield Trent Alexander-Arnold has decided to leave Liverpool at the end of the season when his contract at Anfield finishes The right-back, who is expected to join Real Madrid on a free transfer came to the conclusion he wants a new challenge after two decades with his hometown club Alexander-Arnold had been in discussions with Liverpool about a new deal but whereas Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah signed contract extensions to remain at Anfield The 26-year-old feels he wants to test himself in a different environment after winning everything at Liverpool, he said in a video message published on Monday explaining his decision While Liverpool offered a contract that would have made Alexander-Arnold one if the best-paid full-backs in world football Sporting director Richard Hughes had made talks with Alexander-Arnold a priority and first made contact before taking charge. However, he was unable to strike a deal and the England international informed manager Arne Slot of his decision after a final meeting in the spring Alexander-Arnold, who made his debut and became vice-captain under Jurgen Klopp, enjoyed working for Slot and held the Dutchman in high esteem Real made an offer for Alexander-Arnold just before the January transfer window opened No deal with the 15-time champions of Europe has been formalised and he is yet to put pen to paper but it is likely he will be at the Bernabeu next season Alexander-Arnold clinched his second Premier League title with Liverpool last week to add to the Champions League He made his first-team bow in 2016 and has gone on to play 352 games, scoring 23 goals, the most recent of them at Leicester two weeks ago. His departure could mean Conor Bradley gets the chance to become Liverpool’s regular right-back or that Slot has to go into the transfer market. Trent Alexander-Arnold has announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season saying he needs a “new change” and a “new challenge.” Alexander-Arnold has finally owned his decision and confirmed he will be leaving his boyhood club this summer ending months of speculation over his future The 26-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season and he has taken to his social media platforms to announce his decision Alexander-Arnold said: “I think first and foremost I know many of you have wondered why or been frustrated that I haven’t spoken about this… pic.twitter.com/emAw5RvXq0 — Trent Alexander-Arnold (@TrentAA) May 5, 2025 And I think now is the right time for me to do that.” A free transfer to Real Madrid will loom bringing to end an what would have been a legendary career at Anfield after more than 350 appearances and winning every trophy possible with the Reds In a message to the fans via the club he said: “There’s a lot I would like to say You guys have been there from the start with me the noise [around my decision] doesn’t take away from the fact of what we’ve achieved this season.” Liverpool could stand to bring in fee for their No. 66 if Real Madrid want him to play in the newly expanded Club World Cup this summer The issue is that the Club World Cup runs from June 14 to July 13 meaning Real’s group stage clashes with Al-Hilal Pachuca and Salzburg will be held while the right-back is still under contract at Liverpool Real would therefore need to negotiate a payout with Liverpool if they are to release Alexander-Arnold from his contract early This may simply be a case of buying out the final month of his contract which would be worth in the region of £800,000 to £1 million but there is certainly a case to argue that the Reds could demand more on top England star earns man-of-the-match honours after finally ending long goal drought but he lavishes praise on ‘dream’ team-mate Cole Palmer has hailed Moises Caicedo as Chelsea’s best performer this season after their vital win over Liverpool Both players were crucial to Sunday’s 3-1 victory over the much-changed champions at Stamford Bridge a third in a row in the top-flight for the resurgent fifth-place Blues to take them level on points with Newcastle in fourth ahead of next weekend’s potentially pivotal trip to St James’ Park Chelsea also now have the exact same goal difference as Newcastle in the battle for Champions League qualification and remain behind them on goals scored only after the Magpies’ eventful 1-1 draw at mid-table Brighton earlier on Sunday in which Alexander Isak netted a late equaliser from the penalty spot Sixth-place Nottingham Forest can join that duo on 63 points if they win away at FA Cup finalists Crystal Palace on Monday night with Chelsea travelling to the City Ground on the final day of the season after a visit from Manchester United Aston Villa are on 60 points in seventh and still very much in the fierce top-five race themselves after edging past Fulham on Saturday while Manchester City are only a point ahead of Chelsea in third after beating Wolves and Arsenal three points further on in second after losing at home to Bournemouth As well as providing another boost to Chelsea’s Champions League hopes the win over Liverpool was also notable for Palmer finally ending a well-documented goal drought that had lasted for 18 matches across all competitions - dating back to the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth in mid-January - as he stepped up to confidently dispatch a last-gasp penalty that settled nerves among the home contingent Palmer slams 'idiot' trolls as emotional interview forces swearing apology Meal2Deal: on a mission to make food poverty history Virgil van Dijk’s late header from a corner had looked to set up a grandstand finish after Enzo Fernandez’s third-minute strike - the fastest league goal scored at Stamford Bridge since 2017 - was followed by an unfortunate own goal from Jarell Quansah that saw Van Dijk’s attempted clearance clatter into him and in While pundits and fans alike waxed lyrical over man-of-the-match Palmer’s performance against Liverpool the all-action midfielder who delivered another impactful display from right-back including winning the stoppage-time penalty after being moved into the middle and fouled by Quansah “When you’ve got him next to you it’s a dream really,” Palmer told Sky Sports of Caicedo’s impact for Chelsea From the start of the season until now I think he’s been our best player The compliment was quickly returned by Caicedo who was effusive in his praise of Palmer for continuing to play an important role for Chelsea even when the goals had dried up in the first real prolonged blip of his otherwise outstanding Blues career he helped us a lot even when he didn’t score He’s a great guy and deserves everything.” Told it seemed like he did not agree with himself being named as the man of the match against Liverpool In what was one of his standout appearances in a Chelsea shirt so far helping control the midfield battle while boasting a flawless passing display not misplacing a single pass during his time on the pitch against the Reds Supporters on the Chelsea Official App also voted him second for the Player of the Match prize, only missing out to Cole Palmer, while the midfielder received praise from head coach Enzo Maresca as the Italian explained that the Blues are a ‘better team’ with Romeo involved Speaking after the game, the Belgian midfielder was quick to credit the team with goals from Enzo Fernandez handing the Blues all three crucial points ‘It’s a great result,’ the 21-year-old opened ‘We have been very focused on what we have to do so it was good to see that the plan we had worked out well ‘My goal for the whole season was to be with the team and help them as much as I can I’m pleased I’ve been able to do it [against Liverpool] I take it game by game and I’m enjoying every moment control and composure in midfield allowed attacking players like Cole Palmer to be extremely effective against Liverpool and the Belgian was keen to praise the talent exhibited by our No so you can’t really see a difference on his face,’ he laughed Lavia acknowledged that the win marks another step forward for the Blues with Maresca’s side now unbeaten in the Premier League since the start of April but he added that the squad will remain grounded in our quest for Champions League qualification and we have another big one on Thursday [against Djurgarden],’ he said but I think we just have to focus on each game Chelsea aided their hopes of Champions League qualification with an excellent win over the champions This game was very important. Liverpool forced us to defend deep, something that we don’t like to do. But they are so good. We planned the game, trying to be aggressive. But they forced us into a different plan and we adapted quite well. I am very impressed with my players. It is not easy to play man-to-man. If we finish top five, everyone is thinking they are doing well, but I am impressed with them [regardless]. For sure, Chelsea has to fight for Champions League. Hopefully in the future it can be for something more important. 1d ago19.47 CESTHere the xG, if you’re into that sort of thing. 1d ago19.46 CESTChelsea’s Cole Palmer speaks to the cameras: Liverpool are champions for a reason but I think we had desire and good fight and we edged them. Shit happens, obviously I went three months without scoring, but it just gave me more motivation to keep working. Social media is just full of idiots but I just want to help my team. You feel like you’re letting your team down when you miss chances. I’ve had doubters all my life, it doesn’t bother me. I was trying things today, first-time passes. I felt normal today. 1d ago19.41 CESTIn other news, London City Lionesses have been promoted to the Women’s Super League after a dramatic final day in the Women’s Championship. Cucurella and Madueke were the standout players Not sure how deeply we need to look into that Liverpool defeat. Their mentality was poor today, but that is not unexpected after the highs of last week. Slot rung the changes, and just as he did against Plymouth in the FA Cup in February, Liverpool did not gel. 1d ago19.28 CESTThis is what that result does to the league table. Chelsea are now three points clear of Forest and Villa and will watch on with interest as Forest take on Palace on Monday night. 1d ago19.25 CESTFull-time: Chelsea 3-1 LiverpoolThe champions are beaten! 1d ago19.25 CESTGOAL Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool (Palmer pen 90+7)Palmer caps a wonderful display by passing the ball to Alisson’s right Liverpool’s goalkeeper guesses right but can’t reach the penalty 1d ago19.22 CEST90+4 min: Salah is so far short of his normal exceptional standards today. The man can’t trap a beanbag today. 1d ago19.18 CEST90 min: Corner to Chelsea then take it short and immediately lose possession of the ball Five minutes added on for Liverpool to get an equaliser. 1d ago19.17 CEST89 min: Chelsea make another change: goalscorer Fernandez off for Reece James. 1d ago19.16 CEST87 min: Chelsea so easily could be 3-0 up but now they face an anxious last few minutes to secure the three points, which are so precious in the race for Champions League qualification. 1d ago19.15 CESTGOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (Van Dijk 85)How bizarre! Chelsea fail to mark Van Dijk from a corner and the Dutchman has a completely free run to meet the cross Chelsea also made a change: Lavia off, Gusto on. Caicedo will go into midfield, Gusto to right back. 1d ago19.13 CEST81 min: Palmer hits the post The England midfielder ghosts past Bradley to the byline indicate he is going to pull the ball back to a teammate but Palmer instead shoots from the tightest of angles Alisson is completely out of position but the ball rebounds out off the far post and to safety 1d ago19.05 CEST73 min: Chelsea have fallen into a mid/low block, and Liverpool are enjoying plenty of possession and now have Szoboszlai and Mac Allister on the ball I should say that there were some other chants from Chelsea fans: ‘always the victim’. Grim. 1d ago19.03 CEST71 min: Chelsea respond with a change of their own: Jadon Sancho replaces Nicolas Jackson. That means Madueke will go to the right and Neto will play as a central striker. 1d ago19.01 CEST69 min: Some substitutions to tell you about: Liverpool take Elliott and Endo off for Mac Allister and Szoboszlai. 1d ago18.57 CEST65 min: Which is taken by Elliott and blasted straight into the Chelsea wall. 1d ago18.54 CEST63 min: Chelsea supporters have started singing about Steve Gerrard and Demba Ba, I am obliged to report. 1d ago18.51 CEST59 min: Slot makes a double change, maybe 14 minutes too late. Nunez on for Jota, Bradley on for Alexander-Arnold. with the ball rebounding straight into the net 1d ago18.42 CEST52 min: Groands from the Chelsea fans as Jackson is caught offside from a Madueke pass. It’s not clear if they are annoyed at the late timing of the latter’s pass, or Jackson’s errant run. Maybe both. 1d ago18.33 CESTPeeeeeeeep!We’re back underway at Stamford Bridge. Both sides are unchanged, which is a little surprising (for Liverpool). Updated at 18.34 CEST1d ago18.19 CESTHalf-time reading: Updated at 18.21 CEST1d ago18.17 CEST45 min: One minute added on for stoppage time. This half has flown by. 1d ago18.16 CEST41 min: Palmer finds a nice pocket of space on the right side of Chelsea’s midfield and releases Neto and the winger slaloms right and left before cutting inside Tsimikas and shooting low into the near side netting. Had that been inside the post, I don’t think Alisson was getting there! Liverpool make six changes for today’s Premier League clash at Chelsea. The champions hand starts to Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo and Curtis Jones at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, Diogo Jota, Kostas Tsimikas and Jarell Quansah also come into the Reds’ line-up for the penultimate away trip of the 2024-25 season. Liverpool: Alisson, Endo, Van Dijk, Salah, Jones, Gakpo, Elliott, Jota, Tsimikas, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah. Subs: Kelleher, Konate, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Nunez, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Robertson, Bradley. Carragher is not expecting Alexander-Arnold to receive warm welcome when he returns to Anfield Jamie Carragher has warned Trent Alexander-Arnold that his legacy at Liverpool will be tarnished by his decision to leave the club The 26-year-old announced on Monday that he will bring an end to his time at Liverpool this summer, leaving as a free agent when his contract expires It is expected that Alexander-Arnold will join Real Madrid and Carragher believes that the “simmering resentment” some Liverpool fans feel towards that is justified “What is gained in the short-term can be sacrificed in terms of a legacy once a career is over and although it might sound like a cliché to say you are “part of family” once you are loved by the fans of the biggest it is true,” Carragher said in his column for The Telegraph “There are many examples of truly great players who gave stellar service everywhere they went but no longer feel emotionally attached to anyone because supporters will differentiate between those perceived to be putting the club first in the ongoing fight to take on the superpower of Real Madrid and those who were accused of thinking about their own career.” Alexander-Arnold confirms Liverpool decision with emotional statement Palmer ends long goal drought as Chelsea beat champions Liverpool Chelsea vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result and latest updates How Guerrilla.Co is tackling road-runoff pollution in the UK said he wanted a “new challenge” but that “his love for this club will never die” Carragher pointed to comments from the defender earlier his career when he spoke of his desire to become Liverpool captain and how he had never considered leaving the club “Different players have different characteristics and ambitions,” Carragher said “Liverpool fans did not think Alexander-Arnold saw his path in the same way as [Michael] Owen and [Davd] Beckham because he said his dream was to captain the club and follow his hero Gerrard Alexander-Arnold won eight major honours as a Liverpool player including two Premier League titles and the Champions League but Carragher believes that will all be forgotten when the right-back returns to Anfield with another club “I love seeing a Liverpool-born lad doing so well he will play for Real Madrid,” Carragher said “Part of me thinks ‘well done’ but the competitive element in me also thinks swapping Liverpool red for Real Madrid white means he has chosen to become a rival “It means the next time he is at Anfield he will receive the same treatment as Luis Suarez when he returned to Merseyside in a Barcelona shirt.” Liverpool’s eighth and biggest defeat of the season also tightened Chelsea’s grip on that precious fifth Champions League spot and if we glimpsed anything here it was perhaps the growing ability of Enzo Maresca’s side to ride out the tough periods and make their moments of supremacy matter A very early goal by Enzo Fernández set the tone; a deeply comical own goal by Jarell Quansah doubled their lead and Cole Palmer’s penalty with almost the final kick made the points safe Liverpool had 65% possession and beyond Virgil van Dijk’s valedictory late header it’s hard to recall a single thing they did with it Arne Slot rotated heavily and in the process reminded us why he doesn’t rotate more often It is rare for a champion team to be met with the resounding consensus that it needs to be broken up and rebuilt as soon as possible as Liverpool’s second-string midfield returned Chelsea’s guard of honour with one of their own There is of course partial mitigation to be found in the weird post-title vibes stacked in the wrong place and faintly flecked with steak sauce All season Liverpool have been laser-locked on this one singular objective so what happens when you suddenly take it away View image in fullscreenEnzo Fernández (far right) gives Chelsea the lead precision has long been one of Chelsea’s main issues the wasted chances and wasted potential reflecting those wasted millions off the pitch And if there is at least a shape and a solidity to them now two hard-working banks of four off the ball then what Maresca has given in backbone he has taken in flair and fun The upshot is that it only really takes a moment for the entire mood of the stadium to turn Nobody ever really seems to be having a good time The body language on the pitch is still awful Neto needlessly headed the ball out for a corner and the crowd pretty much screeched in frustration The good news for Chelsea was that Liverpool were more than happy to do the job for them having long since given up on Neto outside him simply dribbled past his team-mate on the right wing and squared it for Madueke Wataru Endo made the initial tackle but Van Dijk’s rushed clearance smacked Quansah on the thigh and rebounded in: truly The last half hour passed in something of a blur Darwin Núñez and Mohamed Salah both missed simple headers to cut the deficit; Palmer and Jadon Sancho could easily have added a third goal and even if Van Dijk’s late header from Alexis Mac Allister’s corner summoned up a little basic species pride finally released from his right-back prison by the arrival of Reece James one of the three right-backs on the Chelsea bench Quansah wearily lunged in and brought him down Palmer’s penalty seemed unduly freighted with tension But he slotted the ball home safely enough to end an 18-match scoring drought a welcome hit of confidence ahead of big tests at home and in Europe These last four games – and we can safely write off the second leg against Djurgarden – will define Maresca’s first season at Chelsea a season that has seen genuine changes to the style and organisation of play And even if this is still a team prone to bizarre fits and outbursts even if much of the Stamford Bridge crowd remains largely unsold on it Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving Anfield because of the one thing the Reds can’t give him over Real Madrid Alexander-Arnold confirmed on Monday morning that he will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season but decided not to mention where he is going in the summer Widespread reports have indicated that he will be moving to Real Madrid when his contract expires at the end of June with Fabrizio Romano fiving his famous ‘Here We Go!’ confirmation to the transfer His statement announcing his departure read: “After 20 years at Liverpool Football Club “This club has been my whole life – my whole world – for 20 years The Athletic have revealed the ‘inside’ story and insist that Alexander-Arnold didn’t decide to leave Liverpool until March despite the ongoing speculation that he would move to Real Madrid And Alexander-Arnold ended up ‘hurt’ as Real Madrid attempted to buy him for around £20m in the January transfer window in order to get him before the summer He was upset by ‘accusations that he had actively encouraged the late December approach’ as ‘he was never looking to leave mid-season’ Alexander-Arnold hopes that the move to Real Madrid ‘can help unlock his full potential’ with the Liverpool academy product looking to qualify for the Ballon d’Or Close friend Jude Bellingham will be there to help him settle in at the Bernabeu and money was never going to be the motivating factor for Alexander-Arnold’ If Alexander-Arnold was just bothered about money then he ‘would have invited offers from across Europe and considered interest from the Premier League.’ They could not give him what he wanted — a fresh challenge.’ Liverpool are poised for a pivotal summer under incoming head coach Arne Slot who insists he is largely content with the squad inherited from Jürgen Klopp subtle hints suggest the Dutchman is not closing the door on fresh additions—especially with murmurs growing around key positions “It’s already a big summer because we extended Virgil [van Dijk] and Mo [Salah] and for large parts of the season I don’t think everyone expected that,” Slot told Sky Sports following a 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge I’ve said already that I am happy with the squad we have but sometimes it can be good to bring fresh energy.” Slot’s remarks offer an insight into a delicate balancing act: retain the core leadership group while rejuvenating areas that have shown signs of wear—namely Andy Robertson’s form has dipped notably in recent months and while his pedigree and experience remain invaluable the growing sense is that Liverpool are weighing their options at left-back The Bournemouth defender has impressed in his debut Premier League season and Liverpool’s interest is neither new nor subtle What once appeared to be speculative chatter is beginning to crystallise into something far more substantial Kerkez’s name surfaced again over the weekend in Premier League Productions coverage, where Ian Wright and Michael Owen discussed potential summer moves involving Bournemouth’s standout talents “That’s a talented team,” said Owen “They’ve got some really talented players in the squad they might just have a really difficult summer trying to shield a lot of their players away from the pack “Liverpool might come in for Milos Kerkez,” he added Wright’s response only heightened anticipation: “Yeah The amount of talk we’ve been doing for so long Such candid remarks from two former England stars have not gone unnoticed While Wright did not confirm any deal outright his phrasing implies significant momentum behind the scenes Kerkez does not possess a release clause like his Bournemouth teammate Dean Huijsen but sources suggest the south coast club are resigned to losing the Hungarian international this summer but the noise is growing louder—and rarely without reason in today’s media landscape the prospect of securing a 20-year-old full-back with proven top-flight experience fits both their tactical and financial model Whether this leads to formal negotiations remains to be seen but the signs are increasingly pointing toward Anfield Milos Kerkez’s radar chart for the last 365 days attack-minded full-back with standout strengths in progressive play and final-third contribution—attributes that align perfectly with Liverpool’s tactical DNA Kerkez ranks exceptionally high for assists (79th percentile) These metrics suggest a full-back who not only supports attacks but actively contributes to goal-scoring opportunities His shot-creating actions (60th) and xAG (55th) reinforce the view of a player comfortable making the final or penultimate pass—key in a side like Liverpool that thrives on quick transitions and full-back overloads Kerkez excels particularly in progressive carries (85th percentile) showing his ability to move the ball forward with intent He also performs well in progressive passes received (66th) indicating intelligent positioning and movement in the attacking phase but his lower percentile in pass completion (34th) and passes attempted (22nd) implies a high-risk though potentially wasteful in deeper build-up play His dribbler tackle rate (68th percentile) is impressive demonstrating a knack for one-on-one defending and especially clearances (5th) suggest room for improvement in traditional defensive duties This could be down to tactical setup or role specificity at Bournemouth where he’s often tasked with pushing higher up Kerkez shows immense promise as an aggressive While his defensive game may need refining his profile fits Liverpool’s needs for dynamism and width especially if Andy Robertson’s decline continues สล็อตเว็บตรง sister casino sites Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Real Madrid are ‘confident’ they’ll be able to get Liverpool to agree to letting go of Trent Alexander-Arnold early to benefit them greatly Alexander-Arnold announced on May 5 his decision to leave Liverpool It’ll bring to an end a 20-year association with the Anfield club While he has not revealed where he’s heading, that he’ll land at Real Madrid is the worst-kept secret in football Transfer insider Romano has revealed there’s been no announcement as Alexander-Arnold wants to focus on his final Premier League games with Liverpool The insider has also suggested Real will get the last laugh “The only thing to see now is whether Real Madrid will be able to reach an agreement with Liverpool to have Trent already available for the FIFA Club World Cup or not,” Romano said Let me say that Real Madrid internally are quite confident on reaching an agreement with Liverpool for Trent to play the Club World Cup “For sure that’s the feeling at the club for sure it’s going to be important to follow the conversation.” DON’T MISS: Trent Alexander-Arnold done deal: The best free-agent signings Real Madrid have ever made If Alexander-Arnold signs for Real ahead of the Club World Cup it could obviously aid their push for silverware But Liverpool were expected to at least stop them from that with fellow transfer insider David Ornstein stating: ‘Alexander-Arnold is expected to join Real Madrid as a free agent with sources in Spain – speaking anonymously to protect relationships – suggesting a proposed six-year agreement is in the process of being completed.’ The July signing would mean Alexander-Arnold would miss the first half of the tournament Liverpool have essentially no reason to say no to the early signing it seems there’s a good chance Alexander-Arnold could make his first appearance in Real Madrid’s white strip in mid-June Romano does not actually specify Real are in talks to get him from the START of the tournament but given he’d join from July anyway – and as such be available for the knockouts – it seems unlikely he’d make the point that Real are pushing to get him for the Club World Cup if that didn’t mean from the start A report has revealed that Real are ready to give their new signing the majority of responsibility from dead-ball situations They are also happy to give him free rein to move into midfield as ‘Madrid’s coaching staff consider him to be a first-class player not only as a defender but also for his ability to move into midfield and to deliver from set pieces.’ Meanwhile, a misstep from Liverpool in the decision for Alexander-Arnold to leave has been revealed. It’s been reported that he was happy to pen a new deal two years ago But uncertainty behind the scenes meant the Reds never came to the table Chelsea have shared a moment to forget for Trent Alexander-Arnold after his Liverpool exit was officially confirmed The England international will leave Anfield at the end of the season after 21 years with the club Alexander-Arnold is set to depart once his contract expires this summer talkSPORT understands he has agreed terms on a five-year deal with Real Madrid Just hours after Alexander-Arnold announced his exit, Chelsea took to social media to share a clip from their Premier League clash The Blues claimed a 3-1 victory over the champions at Stamford Bridge on Sunday However, the winger's feint dummy saw the ball run past both players as he turned and sprinted up the touchline. Alexander-Arnold was left in Madueke's wake as he attempted to chase after his opponent. Alongside the post, Chelsea's official X account wrote: "See yaaaaa!" with a waving hand emoji. with one commenting: "Admin chose violence." another poked fun at Alexander-Arnold by adding: "This can't be Trent's last Chelsea memory." The right-back had earlier released a statement confirming his departure from Liverpool "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 which was securing number 20 [league titles] My love for this club will never die." After progressing through the club's academy Alexander-Arnold has made 352 first-team appearances for Liverpool he has scored 23 goals and provided 92 assists from right-back This season's Premier League title also takes his trophy haul to nine which also includes the Champions League Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free-transfer move to Real Madrid from Liverpool has been confirmed – with all the details around the arrangement he will sign at the Bernabeu now coming to light – but with the Reds seemingly having managed one final act of revenge towards the Spaniards over what will ultimately prove an extremely hard-to-swallow departure The worst-kept secret in football is now 100% official after Alexander-Arnold confirmed on Monday morning that he has taken the difficult decision to leave his boyhood club this summer after 20 years on their books. And while he stopped short of confirming a move to Real Madrid would be next all associated with Liverpool and the watching world know exactly where he is heading The move to the Bernabeu will end one of the longest-running transfer sagas in recent memory The Spanish giants’ interest in signing the Reds’ vice-captain dates back a good three years with their plans to land him at the end of his deal in summer 2025 long since known to be their grand plan Real, of course, did try and do a deal earlier, seeing two offers for the 26-year-old rejected by Liverpool in the January window as Carlo Ancelotti’s side looked to compensate for the season-ending injury sustained by veteran defender Dani Carvajal – the man Alexander-Arnold is now expected to replace The Spanish giants have also made it clear they wanted to bring the player in before his deal at Anfield officially expires on July 1, having asked Liverpool what it would take to bring him to Bernabeu a month prior so he could feature in FIFA’s latest initiative the upcoming much-expanded and hugely-lucrative Liverpool will not let that happen and the move to take the 33-times capped England star will not go through until July Writing on The Athletic Ornstein stated: ‘Alexander-Arnold is expected to join Real Madrid as a free agent with sources in Spain – speaking anonymously to protect relationships – suggesting a proposed six-year agreement to join the Spanish side has now entered its final stages and is on course to be signed in the coming weeks.’ is expected to net the player a hefty £240,000 a week package while Real are also reported to have given the player a significant seven-figure bonus payment as a signing-on fee ⚪ Trent Alexander-Arnold done deal: The best free-agent signings Real Madrid have ever made ⚪ Alexander-Arnold done deal: The last 10 players Real Madrid convinced to leave their local team Confirmation of Alexander-Arnold’s exit now rather than after the season has concluded means the player will get the chance to bid farewell to the fans that have idolised him for several years in their final home game of the season And according to The Times’ Paul Joyce Alexander Arnold ‘wanted to clarify his plans now’ rather than ‘waiting until after the title parade on May 26’ as he ‘does not want to be viewed as a coward who sneaked out the back door’ Confirming his departure in a message on his X page Alexander-Arnold posted: “After 20 years at Liverpool Football Club “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… I know many of you have wondered why or been frustrated that I haven’t spoken about this… pic.twitter.com/emAw5RvXq0 — Trent Alexander-Arnold (@TrentAA) May 5, 2025 achieved everything I’ve ever wanted to here,” he told Liverpool’s official website “There’s a lot I would like to say,” he said of Liverpool fans and I just hope that everyone is able to maybe not dwell on this news for too long and be able to celebrate what the rest of the lads have done.” While Alexander-Arnold is yet to comment on the reasons for joining Real Madrid, some detail into why the move was greenlit offered by Spanish football expert Guillem Balague back in March The player himself has also not hidden from his desire to win the game’s biggest prizes saying earlier this season: “The most important thing is trophies if I’m honest I’m a player who is highly motivated by winning things and being elite That’s probably the main factor of anything who wants to win and will do anything to win then that’s what drives them.” Alexander-Arnold has made 352 Liverpool appearances unlike Steve McManaman and Michael Owen before him the right-back can’t claim that he’s heading to the Spanish capital to satisfy a thirst for silverware given Liverpool’s form and recent Premier League title success since Arne Slot took over as manager ‘losing Alexander-Arnold isn’t a good look for Liverpool’s owners given that a £100m asset will be walking away for nothing’ Ornstein concludes: ‘At the age of 26 his best years remain ahead of him and the fact that they won’t be spent on the red side of Merseyside is a bitter pill to swallow’ By Samuel Bannister While Alexander-Arnold has amassed a respectable medal collection with Liverpool winning just about everything there is to win the sheer frequency of honours he could expect to pick up at Real Madrid may outweigh it Madrid are the Champions League’s most successful club winning two of the past three finals and five of the past nine and could enable Alexander-Arnold to add some more glittering honours to his cabinet Winning trophies with Liverpool will always be special for Alexander-Arnold but he could become even more decorated at Real Madrid – and in an age where people seem fixated on honours when judging a player Alexander-Arnold recently hinted he would like to aim for the Ballon d’Or while in the prime of his career And although Manchester City’s Rodri won the Ballon d’Or in 2024 it has more frequently been claimed by LaLiga players than Premier League players in recent memory Only once has a Liverpool player won the Ballon d’Or; there have been 12 times when a Real Madrid player has Alexander-Arnold could boost his chances of winning football’s biggest individual accolade by standing out in a star-studded Real Madrid team with his own unique role playing for his boyhood club for the only team he has ever known but he may also be eager to challenge himself in a different league and culture Spanish football is experiencing a resurgence – the men’s national team are the current European champions the women’s team are the current world champions and La Liga representatives Real Madrid are the reigning European champions at club level – and it would be fascinating to see how he would adapt to that style of play The lifestyle would also be a change for Alexander-Arnold and Alexander-Arnold would be able to link up with another English superstar in the shape of Jude Bellingham The pair get on well thanks to being international teammates and that may help Alexander-Arnold settle in the Spanish capital Bellingham certainly hit the ground running after joining Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund and Alexander-Arnold could back himself to do the same English players abroad can often become popular and Real Madrid could assemble a squad that contains two of the very best Who knows, but this opportunity might never come around again. Real Madrid have shown determination to wait for the right target in cases such as Kylian Mbappe, but their need to reinforce at right-back is becoming more urgent and if it isn’t with Alexander-Arnold, it could be with one of a number of alternatives Alexander-Arnold’s decision might be made for him he could say that he had tested himself on the most illustrious of stages He will have had a splendid career still if not but he will have to consider if he will be wondering ‘what if?’ by the time he reaches the end of his career – hopefully a long way away just yet While Alexander-Arnold’s role with Liverpool has been dominant in terms of the regularity of his gametime the same cannot be said for his England career he has more competition at international level but he was often overlooked by Gareth Southgate he will be wondering what Thomas Tuchel thinks of him his form at club level will impact the new England head coach’s decisions But will it benefit Alexander-Arnold to remain in sight in English football or could it actually benefit him to prove himself abroad but the recent change of Three Lions manager means this could be a clean slate for Alexander-Arnold in an England shirt and he has an impression to make Alexander-Arnold has seen his wages increase over time at Liverpool he may want to be elevated to the position of being their outright top earner It remains to be seen whether or not Liverpool would appease that ambition he would not be the top earner – due to the fortunes Mbappe is receiving – but could nevertheless take home a bigger salary than what he currently earns from Liverpool There are more important footballing factors to consider This is already becoming one of the big off-field sagas of the season; Alexander-Arnold has a lot to weigh up Real Madrid could pile more misery on Liverpool after the Trent Alexander-Arnold deal by beating them to the signing of Bournemouth star Milos Kerkez Alexander-Arnold has announced he will leave Liverpool on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract this summer. The England star is set to join Real Madrid in one of the biggest moves of 2025 as they are looking to sign another full-back in the coming weeks The Spanish giants aim to build a new Galacticos side and are targeting a left-back to strengthen their team for next season TEAMtalk has been reporting on the future of Kerkez for the past year and we understand Madrid are among the clubs interested in the Hungarian Sources indicate that Madrid have not made as significant moves as other clubs but they have suggested a potential late hijack could be on the cards Liverpool have been working diligently to sign Kerkez who had scouts present at Bournemouth’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday and their interest is described as concrete and genuine The scouts were primarily there to watch Dean Huijsen but were also tasked with gathering information on Kerkez during the game Sources insist that “conversations were held.” Agents often meet with clubs at matches and these interactions are where deals begin and necessary information is acquired they could move quickly to sign him ahead of Liverpool Madrid would be able to offer a more lucrative financial package and the allure of playing in their iconic white kit is difficult for even the biggest Premier League clubs to compete with How Real Madrid will unlock full Alexander-Arnold potential revealed as Liverpool blunder slammed Trent Alexander-Arnold: Nine Liverpool replacement options as Real Madrid move confirmed Sources have stated that the 21-year-old full-back is eager to play at the highest level and compete in the Champions League Liverpool can offer that opportunity and have been holding positive discussions about a potential move They want him to support Andy Robertson and eventually succeed from the Scottish international on the left side the deal to bring Kerkez to Anfield is not finalised and Madrid’s interest may prompt the Bournemouth star to take his time and wait for a potential offer from the Spanish club Liverpool must also keep an eye out for Manchester City, as TEAMtalk revealed on April 30 that Pep Guardiola’s side have joined the hunt for Kerkez Liverpool believe they are at the front of the queue, and Kerkez’s arrival could begin a transformative window at Anfield But the race for Kerkez is becoming fierce as some of the biggest and best sides in the world challenge Liverpool Kerkez is on track to leave Bournemouth alongside Huijsen this summer. Sources have informed TEAMtalk that both Liverpool and Chelsea have sent Huijsen contract offers as they look to get the jump on Madrid 🔴 Liverpool get final Alexander-Arnold revenge on Real Madrid as Ornstein confirms contract length, arrival date 🔴 Arsenal and Liverpool in talks to sign Chelsea ace who’s QUITTING the club By Samuel Bannister August 2020 – Makes his senior debut in the Hungarian second tier at the age of just 16 years and nine months February 2021– After receiving a call from Paolo Maldini moves to Italy to link up with AC Milan’s youth system January 2022 – Having never graduated to Milan’s first team initially linking up with the Dutch side’s reserve team May 2022 – Makes his first senior appearance for AZ in an Eredivisie match June 2022 – Earns his first call-up to the Hungary national team August 2022 – Scores his first goal for AZ which was the winner against Sparta Rotterdam September 2022 – Makes his international debut for Hungary in a win over Germany May 2023 – Starts the second leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final against West Ham to reach 17 appearances in the competition from his debut European season July 2023 – After being linked with Lazio and Benfica moves to the Premier League instead by joining Bournemouth August 2023 – Makes his Premier League debut and the first of 33 appearances in his maiden season in English football June 2024 – Starts all three of Hungary’s group-stage matches at Euro 2024 before their elimination November 2024 – Provides both of his side’s assists in a 2-1 win as Bournemouth secure a historic first ever victory over Manchester City November 2024 – Scores his first Premier League goal in a win over Wolves March 2025 – Reaches five assists for the season by setting up a goal against Spurs Chelsea boosted their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League with a 3-1 victory over champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge ending a four-month goal drought when netting a 96th-minute penalty Chelsea remain fifth but now have a three-point cushion over sixth-place Nottingham Forest, who play Crystal Palace on Monday Chelsea are also level on points with fourth-placed Newcastle United whom they play at St James' Park next weekend The Blues opened the scoring after just three minutes. Palmer led a swift counter before finding Pedro Neto whose low cross was neatly controlled and finished by Fernandez Liverpool looked to respond, with Cody Gakpo calling Robert Sanchez into action from a tight angle while Neto hit the side-netting at the other end Chelsea thought they had doubled their lead just before half-time when Noni Madueke rounded Alisson and slotted home. However, the joy was short-lived with Nicolas Jackson penalised for offside during the build-up The hosts did get their second goal in fortuitous circumstances 11 minutes after the restart as Van Dijk’s attempted clearance from a Palmer cross ricocheted off Quansah and back into the net Palmer struck a post from a tight angle, before Liverpool’s late pressure at the other end eventually culminated in Van Dijk powering home from Alexis Mac Allister’s corner But Liverpool's hopes of averting only their third league defeat of the season faded deep into stoppage time, when Palmer slotted home from the spot after Quansah felled Moises Caicedo Seeking a third straight Premier League win, Enzo Maresca named an unchanged starting XI for the first time since November, against Manchester United After giving the new champions a "Guard of Honour", the Blues’ confidence was evident as they were quick out of the blocks and soon ahead through Fernandez. Timed at two minutes and 47 seconds, it was their earliest league goal since Antonio Rudiger netted just 14 seconds earlier against Stoke City in December 2017 they eventually gained breathing space through Quansah’s own goal The hosts’ concentration levels were tested as Liverpool increased the pressure in search for a way back into the game Chelsea never really looked like surrendering it and put the contest to bed with virtually the last kick of the game as Palmer capped a fine individual performance by ending his 18-match goal drought Attention now turns to the second leg of the Conference League semi-final against Djurgarden, before their Champions League qualification quest resumes at St James’ Park against top-five rivals Newcastle United Fresh from securing their second Premier League title last weekend, Arne Slot’s much-changed side received a guard of honour as they made their way onto the Stamford Bridge turf We explain history behind the guard of honour as the 2024/25 title-winners receive one at Stamford Bridge There were six alterations in all and the Reds were slow to settle with Chelsea punishing them by striking inside just three minutes Liverpool struggled to generate a decent attacking threat over the remainder of the first half Slot’s side were much-improved after falling 2-0 behind, with Van Dijk and Darwin Nunez off target from headers Their pressure eventually told when Van Dijk made no mistake five minutes from time it was too late to avert a third defeat in four visits to London A disappointing afternoon for Quansah continued when he caught Caicedo late allowing Palmer to seal the points for the hosts Slot will be eager for his side to finish the season with improvement, starting next weekend against second-place Arsenal at Anfield Chelsea report | Liverpool report Enzo Maresca: "Very important three points playing the way we want and they forced us to use a different plan Chelsea has to fight for Champions League and hopefully in the future we can fight for something more important In this moment we are there and hopefully we can finish there." Arne Slot: "For many things I didn't see a drop off we could see why we have won this league - we brought the ball out from the back really well We came back after being 2-0 down and we didn't give up In some moments a few percentages were not there." Liverpool are only the fourth team to lose their first league match after they were crowned Premier League champions after Arsenal in 1997/98 (vs Liverpool) Chelsea in 2005/06 (vs Blackburn) and the Reds themselves in 2019/20 (vs Manchester City) Chelsea recorded a victory over Liverpool for the first time since March 2021 ending a run of 10 matches without a win against the Reds in all competitions (D7 L3) Only John Terry (19) and Dion Dublin (14) have scored more headed goals from corners in Premier League history than Van Dijk (13) The Liverpool captain is the top scoring defender in the competition since his first full season with the Reds in 2018/19 (21) Palmer ended a run of 1,162 minutes without a goal in the Premier League – he had the most shots (5) made the joint-most passes ending in the final third (13) and had the joint-most touches in the opposition box (8) of any Chelsea player in today’s win over Liverpool Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has revealed he feels Trent Alexander-Arnold has ‘chosen to become a rival’ of the club and they ‘have to’ drop their support of the right-back The Reds entered April staring down the barrel of a triple exit. Indeed, each of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold were set to leave on free transfers at the end of the season fears of the former pair exiting were allayed There was no sign of Alexander-Arnold doing the same He remained quiet on his future until May 5, when the right-back announced his decision to leave Liverpool While there is no announcement on his next move yet it’s been heavily suggested he’s going to Real Madrid both before and since his Anfield exit was announced Reds legend Carragher, writing for the Telegraph feels ‘swapping Liverpool red for Real Madrid white means he has chosen to become a rival’ Carragher feels Alexander-Arnold will get the same sort of icy reception Luis Suarez got when returning to Anfield as a Barcelona player despite his 20-year association being far longer than Suarez’s time at the club Carragher also feels the ‘unconditional support Alexander-Arnold received from the Kop has gone’ and he feels ‘it has to be this way at the biggest clubs’ He also stated that anything which ‘undermines’ Liverpool’s potential success is ‘a threat’ and feels the defender’s decision is ‘making it harder for his own club’ to win another league title DON’T MISS: Trent Alexander-Arnold: Nine Liverpool replacement options as Real Madrid move confirmed The expectation that Alexander-Arnold will join Real has been reiterated by transfer insider Fabrizio Romano “BREAKING: Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid A number of other insiders have also stated since the Liverpool announcement their expectation that the right-back will join Real It’s been revealed that two years ago, under Jurgen Klopp, Alexander-Arnold was ready to pen a new Liverpool deal with the right-back then becoming able to leave on a free this summer Elsewhere, TEAMtalk understands a Reds move for Dean Huijsen is under threat, as Chelsea have offered a better financial package for the Bournemouth man Liverpool could snatch a player from the Blues as it’s reported they are in contact over a move for forward Christopher Nkunku Another forward on the Anfield club’s radar is Xavi Simons, who Liverpool are reportedly planning a bid north of £50million for. Everton's victory saw them claim a first league double over Liverpool since 2012 Everton claimed just their second away win of the season as Katja Snoeijs and Karen Holmgaard struck to earn a Women's Super League derby double against neighbours Liverpool Snoeijs combined well with strike partner Kelly Gago on the edge of the box before arrowing a low drive past Rachael Laws at the Kop end Full-back Karen Holmgaard popped up at the back post to double the visitors' lead with 20 minutes remaining after Toni Payne had embarked on a weaving run down the left Although Liverpool applied plenty of pressure The majority of the crowd had arrived with hopes of seeing Liverpool claim a first league derby win since May 2019, but Everton's stubborn rearguard had other ideas, just as they did in November's 1-0 home victory at Goodison Park Captain Taylor Hinds went close to a Liverpool leveller midway through the first half but her dipping shot from distance hit the crossbar and went behind Liverpool picked up where they left off after the break as they chased a goal forcing Toffees stopper Courtney Brosnan into several smart saves before Everton doubled their lead through Holmgaard It was a mixed day in the Holmgaard household as Karen's sister Sara received a second yellow card and subsequent red inside the final 10 minutes for bringing down Olivia Smith as she threatened to break free the visitors held out to claim a first win in six games and move to two points behind fifth-placed Liverpool in the table WSL: Champions Chelsea face Spurs after Man Utd and Everton win derbies Liverpool have failed to win any of their last seven WSL meetings with Everton Having watched his side beaten by a stoppage-time goal at home against Brighton last time out Everton boss Brian Sorensen spoke of wanting to bounce back to winning ways in the Merseyside derby The Toffees have had a rotten time of it on the road this season winning just once away from Walton Hall Park and Goodison all term before this short trip Now they can celebrate a first league double over the Reds since 2012 Snoeijs and Gago's wonderful interplay allowed them to capitalise on Jenna Clark's poor throw-in to land a huge early blow Everton then sat in and frustrated Liverpool with goalkeeper Brosnan proving key once again to a fifth clean sheet of the campaign Although they came under several intense periods of pressure as Liverpool chased a way back into the game Everton crucially remained deadly on the break Holmgaard's strike was just Everton's second attempt on target of the afternoon and put the result beyond reasonable doubt sapping the home crowd's remaining energy Victory continues Everton's dominance in WSL meetings with Liverpool stretching their unbeaten run to seven matches since May 2019 The Reds dominated almost every metric - shots expected goals and possession - but the Blues edged the only one that really mattered thanks to their goals After the opportunity to rate players has closed the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users Related topicsFootballMore on this storyGet the latest WSL news on our dedicated page substituted for Júlia Bartel at 86 minutesNumber 24 Weir Match OfficialsReferee: Lisa BennMatch StatsKey Veatriki Sarri (Everton Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half Olivia Smith (Liverpool Women) left footed shot from outside the box is close Grace Fisk (Liverpool Women) header from the centre of the box misses to the left Assisted by Marie-Therese Höbinger with a cross following a corner Taylor Hinds (Liverpool Women) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked Grace Fisk (Liverpool Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked Fourth official has announced 7 minutes of added time Delay in match because of an injury Clare Wheeler (Everton Women) Marie-Therese Höbinger (Liverpool Women) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked Rikke Madsen (Everton Women) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul Júlia Bartel (Liverpool Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half Gemma Bonner (Liverpool Women) header from the centre of the box is close Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications Trent Alexander-Arnold is in line to receive a whopping salary at Real Madrid as further details emerge following confirmation he will be leaving Liverpool the England international has decided to move for pastures new A day after the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea Alexander-Arnold posted a lengthy statement accompanied by an emotional video explaining his decision Liverpool also put out an official statement and said the two-time Premier League winner will "depart with our gratitude and appreciation for his contribution during a sustained period of success" In what appears to be the worst kept secret in football, Alexander-Arnold is now poised to embark on a new chapter in Spain, joining England teammate Jude Bellingham at 15-time European champions Real According to Fabrizio Romano Alexander-Arnold is expected to sign a five-year contract at the Santiago Bernabeu Sacha Tavolieri of Sky Sport reported that he will also be given a hefty salary increase from his Liverpool pay packet earning €15 million per year prior to any taxes performance-related bonuses and a signing on fee factored in However, the figure means he will not be one of Real's top earners - with the likes of Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe on higher wages than Alexander-Arnold His Liverpool deal is due to officially expire on July 1 but The Sun say he could join up with Real sooner as they want him to participate in the Club World Cup which kicks off in the United States in June It's claimed if an early release is paid for by Los Blancos Alexander-Arnold could move on June 1 and would be on course to feature against Al Hilal in the group stage game in Miami on June 15 Alexander-Arnold has racked up 351 appearances for Liverpool He could pull on the Reds shirt three more times including twice at home to Arsenal and Crystal Palace Topics: Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Real Madrid, Premier League, Champions League Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons