The Dutchman on the scoresheet as Liverpool secured the Premier League title on Sunday – and may have revealed important news about his teammate’s future
Cody Gakpo may have given the strongest hint yet that Trent Alexander-Arnold could actually extend his Liverpool contract and reject offers from Real Madrid.
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The Dutch winger has established himself as a key player for the Reds this season, scoring 17 goals across all competitions – nine of them in the Premier League. He delivered one of his best performances in Sunday’s convincing 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur that secured the title, where his precise finish sent Guglielmo Vicario the wrong way.
During the celebrations at a jubilant Anfield, where the players sang the club’s famous “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in front of the Kop, Gakpo also went for an interview with Sky Sports. Here he commented on Liverpool’s triumph and added:
“Now that Mo [Salah] and Virgil [Van Dijk] stay, and hopefully Trent as well, they can continue to build.”
This reference to Alexander-Arnold’s possible continuation at Liverpool could be significant, given that the 26-year-old has been in demand by Real Madrid for months. The interest from the 15-time Champions League winners has led to rumours that Alexander-Arnold has already agreed to move to Spain when his contract expires.
It remains to be seen whether Gakpo’s comments are based on insider knowledge or just a hope that his teammate stays, but Liverpool fans will hope Alexander-Arnold follows in the footsteps of Salah and Van Dijk. Both recently signed two-year contracts after lengthy negotiations, committing to Arne Slot’s project – one of the few managers to win the Premier League in his first season.
Alexander-Arnold has been in excellent form this season, but has also had to sit out games due to injury. His absence has given Conor Bradley the opportunity to show that he has what it takes to replace Alexander-Arnold should he choose to leave.
Liverpool are expected to enter the market for a new right-back if the Spanish capital proves too tempting for Alexander-Arnold to resist, but Bradley is considered ready to take over as the first quality in that case.
Publicly, Alexander-Arnold has avoided elaborating on his future plans. After scoring the winning goal against Leicester City, he said:
“I’ve said all season that I’m not going to comment on my situation. But days like this are special. Scoring goals, winning games and being close to winning titles – those are special moments that will stay with me forever.”
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