Trent Alexander-Arnold looks set to leave his childhood club, Liverpool, in the summer. With all the talk of the progress of the move, it'll probably go down as one of the worst kept secrets in football. Everything seems to be in place for the move to take place with media reports that progress is being made in the deal to Real Madrid.
In the eyes of a large swathe of fans, he's set to leave his boyhood club, who are well primed for domestic and European honours, for nothing after having leveraged his Scouseness.
They hold on to these quotes...
"Looking back on this era, although City have won more titles than us and have probably been more successful, our trophies will mean more to us and our fanbase because of the situations at both clubs, financially."
"I didn't want to be playing for the likes of Bayern Munich, I wanted to be a Liverpool player."
"Playing for the club I love is more important than any position."
"Everybody that owns my kit, everybody that owns any Liverpool kit - I owe them something. I owe them my best. Because I'm one of them. We're family."
Alexander-Arnold would represent something else, something different if he signs for Madrid - as is the long-set expectation. Liverpool, as a club, are more realistic about the situation.
There has been an acceptance that the contract sagas - him, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah - materialised out of their own off-pitch inertia, due to upheaval at sporting director level and then Klopp's decision to leave.
Liverpool didn't just open the door for Real Madrid's charm offensive, they rolled the red carpet out and the Spanish giants have happily walked on it for two years; before really ratcheting up their interest ahead of last summer.
The club have made Alexander-Arnold lucrative offers to remain but they understand the attraction of a new challenge, a fresh life and lifestyle experience, and the lure of being a Real player.
Liverpool have protected him, not allowing questions over his future as he's wrestled with what is an emotionally charged decision to make.
The club know it would be hypocritical, for example, to be annoyed by Alexander-Arnold leaving for Madrid when a good offer would be accepted this summer for Harvey Elliott - a player who turned the behemoths down because he wanted to call Anfield his home ground.
It was also no problem for them to try and tempt Martin Zubimendi from his boyhood club Real Sociedad.
There's also the live saga of Salah and Van Dijk: both are desperate to stay and sign new contracts, yet there has been no breakthrough.
Loyalty in football is an ideal applied to players but not held to clubs.
It would largely explain why dressing rooms are unmoved in situations like these. The Liverpool squad, like the club, understand Alexander-Arnold's position and that it is not just about football but sampling a different way of life.
He grew up two minutes away from Melwood, joined the club aged six, and only moved out of his West Derby home that circled the old training complex when he was 17. Players know that coveting something new doesn't always translate into thinking it's something better.
Alexander-Arnold's situation will have no bearing on what happens with Salah and Van Dijk as all contract offers have been drafted on individual merit, data and circumstances.
The optimism is still strong that the pair will remain. With regards to Alexander-Arnold, all parties - including Real - have made it very clear that any decision wouldn't be driven by money.
They are also aligned in showing surprise at the stories that emerged this week, given nothing major has changed since January: no agreement has been reached; no deal has been signed nor has a conclusion been communicated to either club.
Real, as always, are confident of getting their target. Alexander-Arnold, as has been the case all season, is very interested in making the switch to them but his focus has centred around delivering silverware.
He will know better than most that if he exits Liverpool on a free, given the standing of the club at the moment, his local legacy will be sullied.
In Alexander-Arnold's own words: "There's a difference to this place. People who aren't from Liverpool probably think we're over the top, but that's because we're really passionate about the things we love. We stand united on important issues and we fight for what we believe in with everything we've got."
It has been a long-time coming, with Madrid making their intentions clear at the start of the year when they made a half-hearted bid to prise the 26-year-old from Liverpool in the January transfer window. According to Marca, the player decided as early as 2023 - shortly after his best friend Jude Bellingham had moved to Los Blancos - that his time at Liverpool had come to an end.
This transfer saga has occupied Jamie Carragher's thoughts for a long time. After previously making the questionable suggestion that Alexander-Arnold renew his Liverpool contract purely to ensure that his boyhood club received a transfer fee, Carragher accepted the nature of his departure. However, he was still left disappointed with the ultimate outcome.
"Where I’m at is that, as a local player and a Liverpool fan, Liverpool are in a position where they’re competing for the league and a European Cup every year. So, if you’re a Liverpool fan and a local player, I’m just disappointed that he doesn’t think that this is it," Carragher said onthe Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet. "I’m putting myself in his position, where I’d be thinking that we could go level with Manchester United in league trophies, I’ve got another seven or eight years at Liverpool and want to get three or four ahead of them, with a couple more European Cups."
"We always talk about rivalries and never think of it as European. In some ways, Real Madrid is a rival, and no one will catch them – they are the biggest and most famous team- but I’m desperate for Liverpool to get second on that list – AC Milan are on seven [European Cup wins]. If I was him, I’d be thinking that we’ve got a great opportunity to win the league this year and could do this and that and at the end of his time, put Liverpool in a position [to top others]."
Carragher is being a little naïve about Liverpool's current position. Yes, the Reds are on course to win a record-equalling 20th English league title and were only a penalty shootout away from reaching the Champions League quarter-finals. No one expected them to have the season they are having when Arne Slot succeeded Jurgen Klopp and there is no guarantee that they will build another dynasty in the coming seasons.
Their incredible season has been built on the backs of three players in particular: Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai, two of whom could follow Alexander-Arnold out the door this summer when their contracts are up. Indeed, Carragher has claimed that there are four or five players Slot doesn't truly rate in his squad and believes the Dutchman has a big rebuilding job on his hands in the summer.
Salah and Van Dijk are at slightly different stages of their career. While Alexander-Arnold is just 26, with his peak years potentially still to come, questions over longevity surround the two men who will be 33 and 34 respectively by the start of next season.
Their importance to the team right now can't be questioned, though. According to Sky Sports, both Salah and Van Dijk would rather stay at Anfield than play elsewhere.
The same publication reports there has been no breakthrough with top scorer, Salah and captain, Van Dijk. Reports in Egypt, however, indicate talks between the club and Salah's agent Ramy Abbas have begun to gain traction.
There have been no assurances from the club that any of the three players will have their deals extended - with Alexander-Arnold now more than likely to leave.
In response, former Man United star, Gary Neville, has warned the Reds that, if all three of their stars leave for free, they will struggle to replace the £250m worth of talent.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, he said: "At the end of the season, it will leave Liverpool a huge hole if those three players [Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold] leave on a free."
"They won't have the money to replace them and you could argue there is a quarter of a billion pounds in those three."
"You're talking about one of the best strikers in Europe, one of the best centre-halves in Europe and one of the best right-backs in Europe."
"Even as good as Liverpool have been in recruitment, that is a quarter-billion-pound hole. They've been good at recruitment so they could replace them, but that is a hell of a thing for Arne Slot to have to deal with."
Neville also took aim at Liverpool owners FSG for their handling of the situation. He said: "Liverpool are the only club that are allowed to run a player's contract down to zero but are still doing okay. But he's [Jamie Carragher] explained it, so we're alright."
"Three of the best players in the world have got contracts running down, but Liverpool have done a great job of managing that – I'm sorry, I can't accept that."
"With Trent, it's unforgivable. Whether you're going through a turbulence in the boardroom or not, if you're the owner of the club and you look at Trent two years ago, even if you have disruption in your sporting department, you look at him and think, 'We've got to sign him up, he's one of our own."
Alexander-Arnold's potential departure is a significant blow to Liverpool as not only has he risen through the ranks, but he is viewed as one of the best full backs in the world.
After joining their academy at the age of six, the defender made his debut as an 18-year-old in an EFL Cup tie against Tottenham in 2018.
There has been a furious reaction among many Liverpool supporters, with one fan filming himself burning his Alexander-Arnold shirt and others calling for the player to be left out of the team for the remainder of the season. Then there have been more nuanced takes, acknowledging the obvious lure of the Santiago Bernabeu while expressing disappointment that Alexander-Arnold does not want to spend his entire career at Liverpool and try and help make them the second biggest force in Europe behind Madrid.
Speaking to a fan, he explained to me that he'll have no hard feelings whatsoever should Alexander-Arnold leave Anfield. He explained to me that they will be losing a creative player but they won't suffer defensively. A blunder that the management made was allowing his contract to wind down to it's last strand. He estimated that Liverpool will lose out on a potential £100 000 000 sale.
In addition to this, he shared some messages from a Liverpool fan group. The majority seem not to be too concerned or worried. Some are believing that Conor Bradley can fill the void. Some believe that this is done and that Salah and Virgil have secretly signed extentions. Theere are a few who will find it hard to watch the rest of the season.
Overall, it seems like everyone is fine with the move. He's achieved everything possible, so it's time to try a new challenge.
I know I'm being biased but I'll be thrilled if he leaves. Liverpool will be losing a key player. It can be extremely difficult replacing them. They could lose Salah and Virgil. As a result, The club could crumble. Should this happen, there's no telling how long it will take Liverpool to reach the heights and achievements they have recently achieved.