The hidden England ‘fear’ behind Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid as Tuchel forces six to consider futures

Thomas Tuchel has planted seeds of ‘fear’ in England heads and Trent Alexander-Arnold might be no different. Swapping Liverpool for Real Madrid makes sense.

“I’m honoured to be given the opportunity and to be shown the trust in the club to be given an extension, so it was a no-brainer for me,” said Trent Alexander-Arnold upon the signing of his latest and surely last contract extension in 2021. “To be given the trust, like I said before, by the club and the staff is an amazing feeling,” he added a few moments later.

That “trust” is pertinent, and precisely what Liverpool supporters feel has been betrayed as a two-decade relationship approaches an unnecessarily bitter end.

There has been some suggestion a 22-year-old Alexander-Arnold committed for just four years as part of a nefarious masterplan only ever designed to direct him to Real Madrid at his theoretical peak, that it was a pre-emptive checkmate in a game of 4D chess Liverpool were not even aware was being played until recently, which would rob his boyhood club of a fee and siphon it into his pocket as a signing-on bonus.

It would have been remarkable foresight on the part of the player and his camp, a monumental bet on himself at the end of what was only his third full season as a professional, and a decision which would only ever lead to unfair characterisations of greed, as if the only conceivable reasons to join Real Actual Madrid are financial.

But Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho both signed new deals and left Anfield within 12 months, having helped Liverpool protect the value of their asset; that the same could not be done with a £100m academy product is either by Alexander-Arnold’s design, the club’s accident or a delicate combination of the two.

It is a frustrating and disappointing situation but a disaster Liverpool have had ample opportunity to avert. Allowing three of their best players to enter the final 12 months of their well-remunerated contracts simultaneously always carried the risk of at least one leaving, and the agents of Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah might sense a loosening of the purse strings when they next sit at the negotiating table.

There is ultimately at least one tangible, quantifiable factor which has swung the pendulum away from Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold has made no secret of his desire to win the Ballon d’Or, to become “a legend of football, someone who changed the game,” which does not necessarily preclude a one-club career but does make a widening of horizons more likely in pursuit of global recognition rather than city-wide adoration.

Liverpool cannot compete with Real Madrid on either front. The Reds have had five players finish on the Ballon d’Or podium since 1956; the Spanish giants have had eight different winners claim 12 total awards. In terms of reach and prestige it’s not even close.

But another factor might be at play. It was revealed on Tuesday that six players ‘fear they need to move clubs’ to enhance their chances of making England’s 2026 World Cup squad. Jack Grealish, Jarrad Branthwaite, Marcus Rashford, Jacob Ramsey, Aaron Ramsdale and Morgan Gibbs-White were named as considering their futures to sway Thomas Tuchel; it feels like Alexander-Arnold could be the luxury version of that underused or unheralded half-dozen.

The 26-year-old has never wanted for nor shirked the spotlight but England recognition at Liverpool has been difficult for Alexander-Arnold to establish. A system player for his club has struggled in a variety of positions and roles for his country. Real Madrid could simplify the equation through sheer force of their status and how they use him; it does feel like a perfect match.

It might be Alexander-Arnold’s trump card if he wishes to counter the in-built advantages of Reece James under a coach the Chelsea defender has worked with successfully before. With such little time ahead of the World Cup, familiarity with certain players is a virtue Tuchel could favour. A Real Madrid shirt and link-up with the untouchable Jude Bellingham is a fine riposte.

Liverpool supporters should not be expected to take kindly to one of their own rejecting statues and chants to forge a different path, but equally Alexander-Arnold can hardly be blamed for taking that “trust” and using it to his advantage. Having won everything in England, this is his best chance to take on the world.

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