Stuck on Trent - Leaving of Liverpool can be rocky road

As the clock ticked over at midnight on 1 January and Jools Holland whooped his way through a pre-recorded singalong, Trent Alexander-Arnold's contract saga entered a new stage.

The 26-year-old Liverpool full-back, long seen as a future club captain and the most exciting attacking defender of his generation, became free to sign a pre-contract agreement with other clubs around Europe.

With Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk all out of contract in the summer, it's the defender's status that continues to garner the most interest due to a combination of his age profile, the club linked to him and his status as a Scouser.

Alexander-Arnold’s will he/won’t he psycho-drama has kept tabloid headline writers busy and fuelled 100s of podcasting hours but as the player was substituted late on against Manchester United after an awful display, questions are now being asked as to whether it is harming his on-pitch performance.

The full-back played a role in both on United’s goals in the 2-2 draw at Anfield and turned in a turgid 86 minutes of football, devoid of energy, positioning or accuracy.

Real Madrid’s £20million bid for the player may have realistically been designed to loudly signal their interest in signing Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer, but with former Reds defender Jamie Carragher claiming that the bid would not have been made without the player's blessing, the stakes have risen further.

It’s not like Liverpool haven’t been here before. Both Michael Owen and Steve McManaman had their prolonged contract dramas before eventually opting for Madrid and both emerged with blemishes on their legacy with local fans as a result.

While Owen would eventually ensure that he became persona non grata on the Kop after he rocked