Jamie Redknapp has warned Liverpool fans that turning down Real Madrid will be "almost impossible" for Trent Alexander-Arnold.

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Alexander-Arnold linked with Real MadridRight-back will hit free agency this summerLiverpool criticised for Van Dijk and Salah's contracts too

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WHAT HAPPENED?

Amid mounting criticism of Alexander-Arnold's performance against Manchester United, Redknapp has come to his defence. The right-back was at fault for Lisandro Martinez's goal for the Red Devils, and since his mistake, he has faced a barrage of criticism from several legends of the game, including Roy Keane and Emmanuel Petit, who have questioned his defensive credibility.

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Speaking on podcast, Redknapp expressed disbelief over the backlash Alexander-Arnold has faced and said: "I think Trent can have off days defensively. You know, there is absolutely no doubt his defensive attributes are far outweighed by how good he is going with the ball. He's a genius with that right foot. But defensively, he can be found out. And that was certainly one of those days. I've seen him have worse games than that. He can have those types of games. He had one. There's no two ways about it, and they exploited it. But I think now for Trent, he just needs to make sure that he finishes the season really well."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The poor performance has sparked speculation about whether the growing rumours of Real Madrid’s interest are affecting Alexander-Arnold.

"It does feel like all of a sudden the whole narrative about Madrid has sort of started to take over, and I think that’s probably come because Madrid made the bid," he said. "I think that's probably bought it to the forefront. And maybe by trying to be a little bit clever, almost trying to help Trent, I think they've actually made the situation worse.

"I think there's only one club as a player where you just… with that white kit, and when Real Madrid come calling, it's almost impossible to turn down. My view is if you get an opportunity to go and try something, try a different culture, go and do something different in your life, in your career, how can he begrudge anyone that?"

DID YOU KNOW?

Alexander-Arnold’s uncertain future is part of a larger issue facing Liverpool, with key players Salah and Van Dijk also nearing the end of their contracts. Redknapp criticised Liverpool’s handling of these situations, calling it 'negligence' to allow such pivotal players to reach the final months of their deals without resolution.

"It’s been negligence by Liverpool to let three world-class players come to the end of their contracts," he said. "I think Virgil, they have to make a play for him and make him stay. If there was one that you had to keep, it's certainly Virgil. And I still think that Mohammed Salah will stay. So, the two out of the three will stay."