Is Trent Alexander-Arnold a true Liverpool LEGEND?

Trent Alexander-Arnold appears certain to leave Liverpool this summer. Will he do so as a true club legend?

All signs point to Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool after this season. The Scouser's contract expires and Real Madrid continue to push hard to sign him.

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They've been free to negotiate with him since January 1st, of course. In fact, Real Madrid attempted to get Alexander-Arnold in January with an offer to Liverpool.

It was promptly rejected, however - and rightly so.

But now Fabrizio Romano is among those claiming that a formal offer has been sent from Madrid to Alexander-Arnold. He's expected to sign it.

That would officially bring an end to his Liverpool career. It sets up an interesting question, though - would Alexander-Arnold leave as a true Liverpool legend?

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Trent Alexander-Arnold - Liverpool legend?

Of course, this question hinges on what qualifies as a legend. Alexander-Arnold certainly has enough behind him to play in a legends game, no doubts there.

But we're talking about a proper legend. Is he in the category of Kenny Dalglish or Steven Gerrard? Absolutely not.

Those are people who gave absolutely everything to Liverpool. Dalglish really couldn't have given the club anything more after joining from Celtic in 1977 - he had to step down as manager because he'd run out.

Gerrard devoted the entirety of his top-level career to his boyhood club. Only when Liverpool decided he was done did he move on to MLS.

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Gerrard actively rejected Real Madrid, as well as Chelsea, Internazionale and several other elite clubs across his career. His best years - literally all of them - went to Liverpool.

And that's the theme when marking out a true legend. Did they give their best to Liverpool? Almost invariably, yes they did.

There are question marks over someone like Xabi Alonso, for instance. He did push his way out of the club but then, Liverpool tried to push him out the year before. Everyone understood that one and he left for a massive fee.

One way to put it is like this: Is Sadio Mane a Liverpool legend? You'd say that, yeah, he is in that category but a level below the likes of Ian Rush or Emlyn Hughes or even Virgil van Dijk - players who, once they'd arrived at Liverpool, decided that was it for them.

That's where their best years were going, and they wanted to achieve success at Anfield.

Mane decided to leave in 2022 for Bayern Munich and aim for success there. Again, no one would begrudge him that, and he left on incredibly positive terms.

But it does mean he won't enter the history books in the way Mo Salah or Virgil van Dijk will. You can even argue Roberto Firmino, in fact, given that leaving wasn't his choice.

Well, in terms of what they've given Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold and Mane are pretty similar. They've earned their legendary status on the pitch in much the same way, as key components in a team delivering elite trophies.

However, Mane left for a transfer fee. He could have waited an extra year and left for free but chose not to. The forward also left at 30, having given his peak years to Liverpool.

Alexander-Arnold ticks neither box there. He is deliberately leaving on a free transfer and is deliberately planning to hand his peak years to Real Madrid.

So no, Alexander-Arnold is absolutely not on the same level as Mane.

Here's another example: Michael Owen. Owen, of course, ruined any chance of actual 'legend' status by joining Manchester United but we'll focus on his status before that move.

He teetered on the brink of legend status after leaving Liverpool in 2004. The way he left was terrible, forcing the Reds into a sale to Real Madrid for £8m and Antonio Nunez.

However, at least Liverpool got a fee. Not only that, but the Reds weren't a perennial title contender at the time, let alone marching towards the trophy. Yes, they won the UEFA Champions League the following season, but we'll forgive Owen for not seeing that coming. Absolutely no one on earth did, after all.

So if Owen merely teetered on the brink back in 2004, it's difficult to see how Alexander-Arnold commands legend status. Not only is his exit actually worse, but he has less reason for it and doesn't have the performances in the bank that Owen had.

The forward was Liverpool's star at the time, the driving force behind their treble of trophies in 2001. Alexander-Arnold has played a key role but he's never been the absolute star player for the Reds.

Alexander-Arnold will go down as a Liverpool legend of sorts. He's abandoning any chance of being in that absolutely elite bracket, however, you can easily argue that the way he's leaving slides him a long way down the list.

He's not quite 'just another player' and he'll be remembered forever, unquestionably. But Alexander-Arnold will not be talked about in the same breath as many of the players he grew up hearing about.

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He'll be nowhere near his idol, Steven Gerrard and if we're honest, some way off many of his own teammates. That's the price of moving to Madrid.

Time will tell if it was worth it.