Liverpool 2-2 Man Utd: Trent Alexander-Arnold performance affected by Real Madrid links, says Jamie Carragher | Football News happymamay

Jamie Carragher says Trent Alexander-Arnold’s shaky performance against Manchester United was influenced by suggestions of a recent offer from Real Madrid.

The Liverpool right-back, who has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid this week, had a game to remember as United frustrated the Premier League leaders with a combative 2-2 display at Anfield. Super Sunday.

Alexander-Arnold, who is now serving the final six months of his contract with his boyhood club, struggled to impose himself and was at fault for scoring the visitors’ first goal.

“I thought he was really poor,” Carragher said. “The game couldn’t have gone worse for him, there was always focus on him.

“I expected him to produce the performance he often did where he dominates the game from the right-back position. He is a playmaker. I felt that Manchester United’s system would play into his hands, and there would be a lot of space to get involved and raise his head and put crosses in it.

“I thought he was thinking about how everyone was talking negatively about him, and he had a really good performance. He was poor defensively, but there wasn’t anything going forward with the ball.

“Only he knows if the talk affected him, but the fact that he was so bad in the first match after Real Madrid made an offer tells me it affected him.”

Alexander-Arnold was eventually substituted – replaced by deputy right-back Conor Bradley – in the closing stages of the match and Gary Neville He wondered whether what he described as an “humiliating” offer from Real Madrid had played its part.

“I think the offer from Real Madrid is bad timing for him,” Neville said.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, whether he leaves Liverpool and goes to Real Madrid or not, but if you have that in a big game, you’re a local boy too, it’s not going to be easy, the distractions of having all that noise.

“Real Madrid is a hell of an animal. I think it was insulting, to be fair, from Real Madrid. They act like that sometimes, they think they can get what they want.

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“Liverpool is a football club of enormous stature. They would never sell Trent Alexander-Arnold for £20m in January, so you’re taking the mickey a little bit. I think that’s probably getting on his nerves this week.

“Some players see Liverpool and Manchester United as part of their career. It’s great and they love it but they want to explore.

“When I look at Trent, he looks like a boy who wants to go and explore Real Madrid. He wants to go and play in different parts of the world.”

Trent to Tranmere?

Roy Keane Alexander-Arnold has been suggested to move to Tranmere instead of Real Madrid after criticizing his “pupil’s defence” against Manchester United.

When analyzing Amad Diallo and Rasmus Hoglund’s chances after questionable defence, Kane said: “It’s very easy. We talk about how brilliant Trent is in attack, but Trent’s defense today – oh my God, it’s like schoolboy stuff.

“There’s talk of him going to Real Madrid, and the way he’s defending his move to Tranmere Rovers after that. He’s got to do better.”