Liverpool legend questions role of key player in final matches | OneFootball

Carragher drops bombshell on Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool future

The conversation around Trent Alexander-Arnold is shifting—and not in the way many might have expected. With five games left in Liverpool’s season, club legend Jamie Carragher has sent a thunderbolt through the fanbase by insisting that the 26-year-old “shouldn’t be starting” for the Reds right now.

The backdrop? A contract still unsigned and mounting speculation linking Alexander-Arnold with a summer switch to Real Madrid. While Arne Slot has kept his cards close to his chest since taking over, the situation is becoming harder to ignore.

Bradley staking a claim

Against Leicester, Conor Bradley got the nod once more—and looked the part until Alexander-Arnold came off the bench to smash home the winner with his weaker left foot, the first time he’s ever done so in a red shirt. A trademark moment from a player capable of rewriting the script in seconds.

But Carragher isn’t swayed. When asked by Sky Sports who he would start against Tottenham, he didn’t hesitate: “Conor (Bradley).”

He went further, explaining: “If this title wasn’t sewn up and it was edge and edge with Arsenal, you put your player on the pitch which is Trent. But Liverpool have won the league, that’s why you have to give him (Bradley) his head now with five games to go. Start him in all these games.”

Slot’s decisions shaping the future

Bradley’s back-to-back starts indicate a growing trust—and possibly a glimpse into Slot’s early vision. Alexander-Arnold, only recently back from injury, might have to settle for cameos, especially if his long-term future isn’t with Liverpool.

Photo: @LFC

Carragher was clear: “If Trent hasn’t committed, which he hasn’t obviously to the manager for next season, then he shouldn’t be starting games. He shouldn’t be.”

What comes next for Alexander-Arnold?

While Micah Richards floated the idea of giving Alexander-Arnold a proper “send-off”, the mood has shifted. Sentimentality rarely wins titles—and Liverpool, under Slot, may already be laying the foundations for a new era without one of their most gifted players.