Has Trent hinted he does not want Virgil van Dijk renewal at Liverpool?

Trent Alexander-Arnold joined the Liverpool academy in 2004. His career with Reds is old enough to order a drink for itself and he has been a Merseyside boy throughout. This year will be his 20th year associated with the prestigious club.

Yet, the biggest worry for most of Liverpool fans right now is whether this could be his last year. Trent’s contract with the club expires in 2025 and he is yet to sign a new deal.

News – Midfielder has said ‘yes to the proposal’ to sign for Liverpool – Report

To add to the dangling nerves, Real Madrid are making a concrete effort to sign him as a free agent.

The 25-year-old has been doing the talking and it’s fair to say that his recent comments have done nothing to ease Liverpool fans’ worries. Speaking to The Athletic with James Pearce, Trent has revealed that ‘trophies’ will be the most important factor in his decision-making when it comes to his future.

Real Madrid need no introduction in this regard. They are serial Champions League winners and are the most trophy-laden side in European football. Trent has already won every trophy there is with Liverpool and might feel he wants a new challenge.

One more factor that the English star outlines, which is a bit more relevant, is that he dreams of becoming the Liverpool captain. He has reiterated this desire:

“I have always said I want to captain the club. That is an aim of mine and a goal of mine, whether that happens is out of my hands, to be honest.”

Trent is the vice-captain of Liverpool and next-in-line to replace Virgil van Dijk, whenever the Dutchman calls it a day on his career at Anfield. However, the right-back’s comments seem to suggest he is unsure if he will get the armband.

The 33-year-old Dutch veteran has indicated that he wants to be the leader for at least the next two years. Maybe, Arne Slot could take a page out of Gerard Houllier’s book when the manager, back in 2003, made the bold decision to take the armband from Sami Hyypia and pass it on to Steven Gerrard.

Hyypia accepted that decision well and understood what it meant for Gerrard but will Van Dijk react the same way? Hypothetically, if the Oranje star was to hold on to the armband for the next couple of seasons, Trent would be 28 by the time he gets it and he might think that’s too late in his career.

The most worrying part about his interview is that he was not able to affirm his interest to continue at the club beyond this season. He said:

“I want to be a Liverpool player this season (as a minimum) is what I will say.”

It’s worth noting that Van Dijk’s contract at the club expires at the end of this season too but the Dutchman has shown no signs of slowing down despite his advancing age. Trent, with his comments, looks to have put the ball in Liverpool’s court.

Michael Edwards and Liverpool now face a massive dilemma. Do they make a Houllier-esque decision by changing captaincy from Van Dijk to Trent and try and keep both their superstars.

Do they let Van Dijk, who is 33 and not getting any younger, go in favor of keeping Alexander-Arnold in the long-term as captain; or do they put their foot down and tell Trent they would renew him on their terms and that captaincy will come only when Van Dijk leaves?

If you had to look at it objectively, moving to Real Madrid or any other club for that matter doesn’t necessarily assure captaincy for Trent as there are players side who are in line for the armband.

This is their bargaining chip. It is a difficult situation to be in for Liverpool and it remains to be seen how they handle it.