Trent Alexander-Arnold news delivers SECOND major blow to Liverpool

Fresh Trent Alexander-Arnold reports delivered an obvious blow to Liverpool - but there’s a second one flying under the radar.

It appears Trent Alexander-Arnold is joining Real Madrid at the end of the season. The Scouser’s contract expires at the end of June and he’s long been linked with Los Blancos.

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They actually tried to sign him at the start of the January transfer window - a massive ‘clue’ as to their intentions with his contract. Liverpool rightly rejected that offer but will likely lose him anyway.

Fabrizio Romano is among those saying the deal is on. Real Madrid have now sent over their formal offer and it’s expected to be signed.

That is unquestionably a blow to Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold is one of the Reds’ star players and has been for some time now.

He’s a boyhood Red - someone most believed would remain at Liverpool for the entirety of his peak. He’ll instead give that peak to Real Madrid, like so many others.

But that’s not the only blow to Liverpool with this one. There’s one flying under the radar that will be difficult to correct.

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Alexander-Arnold isn’t just one of Liverpool’s best players - he’s the star product of their academy system. In fact, he’s far and away the most successful graduate since the change to an academy from the old youth system.

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That has a massive positive effect on the kids currently in the academy. Here’s one of their heroes, playing for the same club they do, shining in the first-team after coming up through the same system they’re in.

Alexander-Arnold is there literally living their dream and showing them it’s possible. This isn’t just an assumption, either.

Liverpool put out a video recently that showed a series of youngsters saying exactly this. Even in the presence of Mo Salah, Alexander-Arnold was their favourite player because he came up through the academy to play for the Reds as they dream of doing.

You can’t put a price on that. Alexander-Arnold has been an inspiration to a generation of local kids in a way you literally can’t replace.

We’ll just remind everyone that Alexander-Arnold hasn’t signed for Real Madrid yet. He could change his mind at the death here - but it feels incredibly unlikely.

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Everything points to a serious blow to Liverpool and in more ways than one.