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Steve McManaman fires new warning to Trent Alexander-Arnold as he prepares to swap Liverpool for Real Madrid

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Trent Alexander-Arnold has chosen to pack his bags and leave Liverpool upon the expiry of his current contract.

His next team haven’t yet been officially confirmed, but it’s been football’s worst-kept secret that Alexander-Arnold is joining Real Madrid next season.

Indeed, the right-back will be a free agent upon the expiry of his current deal, but seeing as though Real Madrid want him as part of their Club World Cup squad, Liverpool may receive a small fee for Alexander-Arnold’s services.

Liverpool FC v Arsenal FC - Premier League
Photo by Steven Halliwell | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

And, ahead of his move, former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman has sent the right-back a message after what he experienced during his own time in Madrid.

Steve McManaman says that Trent Alexander-Arnold will have to be on top of his game

Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave Liverpool has been the story that has dominated headlines at Anfield since the start of the season.

And, now that his exit is edging ever-closer, McManaman has given the defender some words of warning regarding what the Real Madrid fans will expect of him.

“Firstly he’s [Alexander-Arnold] not there yet, secondly, it’s all hypothetical, I think it all depends on how long he’s there and how successful he is,” he said in an interview with The Sport Bible on TikTok.

“You need to win trophies all the time, so if you’re successful, you’re going to be a star; if you’re not successful, like this year, the fans will certainly let you know.”

@sportbible

“I”ve gone too early here, haven’t I ?!” 👀😂 Steve McManaman Blind Ranks British Real Madrid Players 🇬🇧✈️⚽️ #realmadridfc #bale #bellingham #beckham #owen #trent #trentalexanderarnold #fyp #soccertiktok #footballtiktok #sportbible #blindranking

♬ original sound – SPORTbible – SPORTbible

Conor Bradley has a chance to prove his worth to Liverpool

Even though Jeremie Frimpong is on the cusp of joining Liverpool, Conor Bradley has next season to prove that he can be Liverpool’s new Alexander-Arnold.

The Northern Ireland international has been in fine form when called upon by Slot this season, but with Frimpong set to come in, Bradley will have to stake his claim for the starting spot.

Bradley has often interchanged with Alexander-Arnold throughout the 2024-25 campaign, with Slot even giving him the starting spot in his team for Liverpool’s last couple of games.

Brighton & Hove Albion FC v Liverpool FC - Premier League
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

There’s no denying that Frimpong has a much better attacking output than Bradley, but defensively, the duo seem to be on a similar level.

Indeed, the 2025-26 season hasn’t even kicked off yet, but with the way things are shaping up, Liverpool’s fans could be in for another impressive campaign.