James Pearce: Liverpool tried hard to keep Trent but couldn’t give him what he most wanted | OneFootball

Trent Alexander-Arnold will leave Liverpool at the end of his current contract, but it wasn’t without a valiant effort from club chiefs to try and retain him.

The Reds’ vice-captain confirmed on Monday morning that he’ll bid farewell to his boyhood club once this season concludes, with the 26-year-old widely expected to join Real Madrid on a free transfer.

In a comprehensive article for The Athletic, James Pearce has detailed the timeline leading up to today’s news, outlining that there was seemingly nothing more that the Anfield hierarchy could’ve done to try and dissuade the right-back from severing his long-standing ties with the club.

Liverpool tried hard to keep Trent but his mind was made up

Richard Hughes had actually phoned Trent before officially taking over as Liverpool’s sporting director last year, with a contract offer made to the player 12 months ago, but at that point the England international was also contemplating whether the 2024/25 season would be his last on Merseyside.

Concerns over how much the Reds wanted to keep him were allayed by subsequent offers which, if agreed, would’ve made him the best-paid full-back in the Premier League. It’s also stated that the 26-year-old immediately warmed to Arne Slot’s ‘meticulous planning and attention to detail’ in his first season in charge.

However, Pearce outlined that nothing Liverpool could’ve done was ultimately going to convince the vice-captain to stay, as he was determined to seize his opportunity for a new challenge elsewhere.

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

The report states: ‘Ultimately, it did not matter what Liverpool offered him financially. Another £5million a year would have changed nothing and there’s little sense of bitterness or resentment on either side. There is respect for Hughes, who inherited a tricky situation a year ago and did everything he could to convince him to stay.

‘From Liverpool’s perspective, the protracted negotiations were cordial and constructive, but it became increasingly clear that an agreement could not be reached. They could not give him what he wanted — a fresh challenge.’

Trent will have to accept the consequences of his decision

Once Trent had decided in his own mind that the grass is greener elsewhere, Hughes and Liverpool were helpless to turn the 26-year-old’s head towards remaining with his boyhood club.

Of course it’s the player’s prerogative to make the career choices that he wants, but the nature of his exit from Anfield will undoubtedly sting for many Reds supporters, and he’ll have to accept that his legacy has been destroyed in the eyes of a sizeable percentage of the fan base.

The blow of losing the vice-captain has been majorly softened by the successful contract renewals of Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk over the past month, and of course the clinching of a record-equalling 20th league title eight days ago.

Liverpool have seen countless club legends depart over the decades and the Reds have still had plenty of success on the pitch, and there’s already an excellent squad in place for Slot to achieve further silverware in the coming seasons.

Pearce’s report makes it quite clear that, as galling as it is to see Trent exiting on a free transfer, the Anfield hierarchy made a concerted and valiant attempt at trying to convince him to stay, and the decision to depart rests squarely with the player.