Liverpool vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold has been cautioned against making a move to Real Madrid next summer, with Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit urging him to cement his legacy at Anfield.
Petit believes the 25-year-old defender “can become one of the best players in Liverpool history” if he commits his long-term future to the club.
However, uncertainty looms, as Alexander-Arnold’s current contract expires at the end of the season.
This contractual situation allows him to negotiate pre-contract agreements with clubs outside of England starting in January, and Real Madrid have reportedly been monitoring the situation closely.
Speculation from Spain has linked the reigning Champions League holders with a strong interest in the Reds’ No.66 since the summer.
Petit, who clinched a Premier League and FA Cup double with Arsenal in 1998, has advised Trent Alexander-Arnold to resist the allure of Madrid and instead focus on solidifying his place as a Liverpool legend by signing a new deal at his boyhood club.
“You know what, I’m not sure about Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid,” Petit told Instant Casino.
“He has the opportunity to stay at a huge club like Liverpool and he can become one of the best players in Liverpool history of a legendary and special club like Liverpool.
“That has to be something that is very interesting to him, especially as a local boy and a fan of the club.
“If he goes to Madrid, he’s going to play every single season hoping to win the Champions League, but I think it’s the same for Liverpool.
“Liverpool, every time they are involved in the Champions League, they want to win, but they don’t have the same recent history as Madrid in the competition.
“Madrid is the reference in the Champions League, but Liverpool is a huge club.”
Petit continued: “[Jurgen] Klopp put the club on a stage, and they should be on that stage forever.
“They are a club that should always be competing for the biggest prizes in football.
“The work of [Arne] Slot, that’s been amazing since he’s come in.
“You should ask me this question next May, because we’ll know more about the future of Van Dijk and Mo Salah and Liverpool may have won something by then too.”
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