For a player who once spoke about loyalty and legacy, the timing of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s latest comments tells a different story.
Just days before his first return to Anfield as a Real Madrid player, the 27-year-old has appeared in a new video with football language coach Sara Duque, confirming he’s been learning Spanish for five months.
“Hi, I’m Trent. I started learning Spanish with Sara five months ago,” said the former Liverpool vice-captain.
“Before that, I didn’t speak a word. I wanted to learn Spanish to communicate better with my teammates, my coach, and all the Real Madrid fans.”
Trent’s Spanish timeline doesn’t add up
The revelation conveniently places the start of his lessons in May, the very month he informed Liverpool he would not be signing a new contract.
For those of us who watched him give a fluent speech in Madrid back in June, this video only confirms what many already suspected.
He was preparing for the move far earlier than he ever admitted, as who can deliver a full speech in a foreign language after a few lessons?
That polished Spanish unveiling four months ago didn’t look like the work of a man who’d just started learning, in fact he himself admitted then it had been “a couple of months”.
If we also consider that this same Spanish teacher has uploaded a post of herself at Anfield in March, it doesn’t take long to consider her visit may have been for more than footballing reasons.
It now feels clear that while Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah showed loyalty, the local lad who was supposed to represent us all was already rehearsing his life in Spain.
When he first spoke at the Bernabeu, his words sparked a furious reaction because of how rehearsed it all felt.
And when he said, “I hope me leaving doesn’t take away from winning the league”, those words felt hollow – they do now more than ever.
Booing inevitable when on Trent’s Anfield return
Even if Trent insists his motives were pure, his timing says otherwise.
When Madrid visit Anfield in November, the reception he gets will reflect that betrayal – not just because he left, but because of how he handled it.
As Duque put it, “Trent didn’t just learn Spanish. He chose to start from zero… to keep showing up, day by day.”
That same persistence might have been better used keeping faith with the club that made him.
You can view the video of Trent speaking Spanish via @saralduque on Instagram:
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Good luck Trent… Your no body at LFC…. leave Our club alone..
He has lost all credibility. I would welcome Jürgen back, not Trent though ☹️.
As already stated on these pages, quite often transfer arrangements are made a fair while before the media release the information and the actual move is made.
There are things to sort out other than arranging housing, schooling for children, wife/girlfriend’s job etc.
If a whole family (brothers, sisters, parents) moving there’s extra…
The club a player is moving TO usually wants a player that is hitting the ground running and who has as few anxieties over the move as possible.
Speaking the language (if moving to a country that uses a different tongue) would appear to be the first thing to know.
One cannot learn such in a week.
Historically, and due to the fact English is so prevalent in the world, we generally fall behind other countries’ in regard to this education.
My advice is don’t get upset with Trent.
He’s a professional footballer and as a human being has the right to work where he likes. Allow him that.
It’s OK to be disappointed, he’s one of us, but we don’t OWN him.
Personally, I give him a boo, but I’d keep it panto-style and then just enjoy the game.
If the prodigal son was ever to return home, it would make such a much easier thing for all concerned.
Let’s not burn bridges with him, or allow personal grudges to get in the way of any future improvement of the team.
It’s the way he went about it that upset the fans. He and his agent (his brother) no doubt pocketed a fair bundle for signing on. The disrespect towards the fans because he didn’t have the balls to come out and tell the truth is unforgivable.
This just proves where his loyalties really are and I’m sure he will get a hostile reception at Anfield after this.
The fans should treat him how they feel is right, of course, but one never knows, he’s on a contract at RM, similarly synchronised to Connor and Jeremie’s…..
Agreed, the manner in which he left has upset fans, but it’s done now.
I would also add that there’s a possibility that his services in Madrid may be of long term advantage to Liverpool, he’s been conditioned to play the Liverpool way.
Fans should ask themselves, at least in the long term, whether keeping any bad feeling over his going is any kind of deterrent to other Scousers leaving for European rivals, is good for their own image and is good for the image of the city.
LFC have never played to a bigger global audience.
I know it’s going back a while, but when Kevin Keegan decided to leave the club. He announced at the beginning of the season he left. The lad played his heart out that season totally professional. Now Arnold could have said in January he was leaving, but chose to pretend he might still sign.
We don’t know what went on behind closed doors at Anfield, or what any long term results of the manner of Trent’s departure may eventually work out to.
I was disappointed when Kevin left (as was Tommy Smith, if the stories are true).
What happened after that ?
I was distraught when Kenny resigned, but greater understanding of what was going on made it easier to take.
Stevie cut it close with the move to Chelsea, post Istanbul.
The burning shirts outside Anfield wasn’t a good image for the city.
LFC will always go on with what it stands for and who they play for.
It is bigger than all of the legends who have served us.
Do we as Liverpool fans, who know our club is the best in the world, believe that with all of the history that goes along with that, that we are also the fairest and finest critics over HOW we play the game ?
Does it also come down to how we treat those who want to see what it’s like outside of that ?
Don’t all of us yearn at some point in our lives to see what else is out there ?
It might be valuable experience if Trent in time learns the Bernabeu grass isn’t greener than Anfield’s….