Pundit Paul Merson has defended Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold for pursuing a move to Real Madrid with FSG in an “impossible” situation.
Alexander-Arnold is in the final few months of his contract and is the most valuable footballer due to become a free agent this summer.
Liverpool pair Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are in the same boat, but Alexander-Arnold has always been the most likely to leave amid the age factor and interest from Real Madrid.
Real Madrid need to sign a long-term replacement for Dani Carvajal. They have been linked with several potential replacements, but it’s been consistently reported that Alexander-Arnold is their top target.
The Spanish giants reportedly achieved a breakthrough during the international break, while the futures of Salah and Van Dijk remain in doubt amid interest from European and Saudi Pro League sides.
Merson has hit out at Liverpool’s hierarchy, as it’s “criminal” to let Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Van Dijk’s “contracts run down”.
“I think Van Dijk and Salah are the best in the business in their positions. If I could buy anybody, I’d buy them two,” Merson told Sky Sports.
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“If you lose Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold, you’ve lost half of the back four. And if you lose Salah, you’re losing 30 to 40 goals a season. Good luck finding them anywhere else.
“When you get down to that much talent and they’re that good, you should never have less than two years, or two and a half years left on your contract before they’re sitting down and saying: ‘we want to go again’.
“In football terms, it’s criminal. It’s criminal that you can let three of the top players in the world of football have their contracts run down, and they could leave for absolutely nothing, go anywhere they want.”
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Merson has also picked out the main reason why Alexander-Arnold is “going” to leave Liverpool for Real Madrid.
“I find the Alexander-Arnold uproar surprising. He’s come through the ranks, he’s won everything there, he didn’t cost anything and he’s going for nothing,” Merson added.
“Other people have been bought for £70m and they go on free transfers. No one says a word.
“At the end of the day, Liverpool had two or three years to sort this contract out. And to try and sort it out with six months to go is absolutely impossible.
“So I don’t know how Liverpool have let it go down to this. And I don’t know too many players that will turn Real Madrid down, if any.
“He’s going because it’s Real Madrid. He’s not dropping down and going for the money. He’s going to a club probably just a little bit above Liverpool.”
