'Trent can't commit long term' - Ex-Red urges Alexander-Arnold to consider renewal carefully

Trent Alexander-Arnold has a Liverpool contract which is due to expire in the summer of 2025.

There have been reports of talks over a new deal but considerable uncertainty around Anfield means that so far a renewal has been unforthcoming.

Manager Jurgen Klopp is leaving the club at the end of the season while the Reds are also on the lookout for a new sporting director.

German Jorg Schmadtke left the post at the end of the January transfer window with reporting now linking the Merseysiders with Richard Hughes of Bournemouth, Tim Steidten, currently at West Ham, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Simon Rolfes among others.

Not only are Liverpool seeking to overhaul their management and administrative positions, there are question marks over the long-term futures of several stars, Alexander-Arnold included.

Question marks over Liverpool stars' futures

Virgil van Dijk was quick to pipe up following Klopp’s departure announcement, refusing to pledge his future to the club and reminding his employers that he would be “curious” as to how they would replace their nine-year manager.

Like Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk’s terms expire in 2025 and, having turned 32, it’ll be intriguing to see what Liverpool offer their captain in any negotiations.

The club’s biggest star, meanwhile, Mohamed Salah has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia for the last two transfer windows.

Last summer it was reported that Al-Ittihad put forward a £200 million bid for the Egyptian, which the Reds quickly rejected, but talk refuses to die down.

Salah completes an all-star trio of players with less than 18 months left on their Liverpool contracts.

Should Saudi interest materialise in the summer, then there is a possibility that a bid could be examined in order to fund a post-Klopp rebuild.

Trent should wait and see who comes in

While Liverpool are currently gunning for a treble, sitting atop the Premier League table, there is no guarantee of that success continuing under a Klopp successor.

To that end, one former Liverpool star is urging Alexander-Arnold to think very carefully before committing his future to his boyhood club.

Although the Reds have been linked with high-profile managers such as Xabi Alonso, Ruben Amorim and Julian Nagelsmann, David James recommends the 25-year-old right back take stock of the situation before renewing.

“I love Trent,” he told GGRecon this week. “When you look at his career, he came from nowhere to playing in European Cup finals whilst increasing his level of performance.

“He then went through a period of being criticised by the media but has come through that and has been back to his best this season and is arguably the first name on Liverpool’s teamsheet, so I think it’s very important that he does stay because he’s gone through the tough times and hopefully he wants to be part of a very successful time again for Liverpool.

“For Trent at the moment, he can’t commit to anything long-term because he’s unaware of which manager is going to come to Anfield to replace Jurgen Klopp. People may say if you love the club then it doesn’t matter who’s there, but if you’re as footballing intelligent as Trent is, then you will be aware that some managers who are being linked with the job at the moment get their teams to play in a certain way that doesn’t suit him and therefore he could end up suffering if he signs a contract now.

“The sooner that Liverpool finds a replacement for Jurgen Klopp, then the sooner that these contract issues with Trent and Mo Salah can be dealt with.”