Alexander-Arnold announced he will be leaving the Reds on a free transfer at the end of the season, with a verbal agreement reached to join Los Blancos in what will be one of the most controversial moves of the summer transfer window. The England full-back said his "love for the club will never die" and was blessed to be able to "live out his dreams" at Anfield. However, he believes "the time is right" for a new challenge.
Speaking to Mahjong365.com, Gascoigne weighed in on the move, which will see the fullback join up with England teammate and best friend Jude Bellingham who will have played a huge role in convincing him to join the La Liga giants. Gascoigne believes he will be a good addition to Madrid side and admits that he loves to see English talent thrive outside of the country.
“Yeah, Trent (Alexander-Arnold) will definitely be a good fit. I mean, look at what (Jude) Bellingham’s done at Real Madrid. You see him play for England, you watch him and people are raving about him.
“He scored in the first game of the Euros and after that, he’s non-existent. And then I saw him playing for Real Madrid and he was outstanding. You’ve got to be unbelievably talented to play when you go there. There was a time when there weren’t many English players playing abroad.”
The former Tottenham Hotspur star played outside of the United Kingdom twice during his career. Near the end of his successful time on the pitch he played for Chinese side Gansu Tianma but more iconically, he had a stint at Serie A side Lazio, where he became an English icon at the height of his career.
A lot of English talent stays within the country, often sticking to the Premier League. Alexander-Arnold's move to Madrid may betray Liverpool but it could also open the door for more English players to venture abroad and expand their horizons, much like Gascoigne or Bellingham who took a leap of faith which massively paid off.