Liverpool's one-time Jude Bellingham dream is now a Trent Alexander-Arnold NIGHTMARE | OneFootball

It wasn’t too long ago that Liverpool fans were riding high on a wave of optimism, especially when the club was in the race to sign Jude Bellingham.

The potential of pairing one of England's brightest young talents with Trent Alexander-Arnold at Anfield had fans dreaming of a midfield revolution.

But now, with Real Madrid’s growing interest in Alexander-Arnold, the mood among Liverpool supporters has taken a sharp and unsettling turn.

READ MORE Has Trent improved defensively under Slot

A tale of two transfers

Back when Liverpool were seriously linked with signing Bellingham, the atmosphere was electric. Many fans believed that securing the 21-year-old would signal Liverpool’s intention to remain at the pinnacle of European football.

The idea of Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool’s star right-back, playing alongside Bellingham had Reds dreaming of the perfect partnership, especially given their strong bond from the England national team.

However, things didn’t go as planned. Liverpool eventually pulled out of the race for Bellingham, citing the immense financial cost of the deal as the reason. Watching him head to Real Madrid—one of Europe’s biggest rivals—was a hard pill to swallow.

The recent rumours linking Real Madrid with a move for Alexander-Arnold have cast a cloud of uncertainty over Anfield. What once felt like a secure future, with the England international at the heart of Liverpool’s rebuild, now feels fragile. For a club that has already seen its prime target, Bellingham, slip away to Madrid, the prospect of losing the 26-year-old is troubling.

Real Madrid has a long history of prying top talent away from the Premier League, and with their desire to revamp their right-back position, Alexander-Arnold seems like the perfect fit.

Trent Alexander-Arnold Jude Bellingham

His contract with Liverpool runs until 2025, and while there has been no indication of an imminent move, the lack of a contract renewal has only fueled the speculation.

The thought of Alexander-Arnold heading to Madrid is made even worse by the fact that he and Bellingham share a close friendship. Fans can’t help but imagine the allure of reuniting with his England teammate at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Their public friendship was previously used as proof that Bellingham would end up uniting with Alexander-Arnold at Anfield. Now, that same friendship brings worry and clear cause for concern.

Suddenly, what was once a dynamic that Liverpool fans hoped would flourish at Anfield now seems more likely to blossom in the iconic white shirt of Real Madrid.

Liverpool's one-time Jude Bellingham dream is now a Trent Alexander-Arnold NIGHTMARE 5 mins ago by Sian Jones

Jurgen Klopp unveiled as new Red Bull Global Head of Soccer 14 mins ago by Peter Staunton

Ex-Liverpool star Sadio Mane beats Karim Benzema to MAJOR award in Saudi Arabia 1 hour ago by Bence Bocsak