Alexander-Arnold's announcement that he is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season confirmed speculation that has floated around for months in the media. His move to Real Madrid was inevitable, and the Reds will take no time in replacing him this summer ahead of the new season. Despite this loss, the club locked down both Salah and Van Dijk to new deals last month, much to the relief of many fans.
Pallister spoke to William Hill about how losing the iconic pair would have devastated Liverpool and may have opened the door for the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea to cruise to the title next season.
“Losing Trent Alexander-Arnold is a big blow but fortunately for Liverpool they've managed to sort new contracts for Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah - it would’ve been a bigger blow to lose Van Dijk or Salah.
“Van Dijk has been pivotal to their success over the years – it was so important for them to get him signed up, if they want to go on and dominate for the next two or three years
“It's not going to be as easy for Liverpool next year. You would expect Manchester City to bounce back strongly under Pep Guardiola. Arsenal will go out and buy new players too and become more of a threat. I also expect Chelsea to be more consistent.”
Alexander-Arnold was integral when Liverpool won their first title in 30 years under manager Jurgen Klopp in 2019-20 and has is due to lift the trophy once again once this campaign ends. His departure is a huge loss for the club but with reports already linking Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez and Fulham’s Antonee Robinson, it seems likely that his position won’t be open for long.