Trent Alexander-Arnold accused of costing Liverpool £80m payday - 'An insult'

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been heavily linked with a free transfer to from Liverpool to Real Madrid - but his goal celebration against Leicester has sparked rumours of a U-turn

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been accused of potentially costing Liverpool an £80million payday. The 26-year-old's late strike against Leicester City nudged the Reds closer to securing the Premier League title with their 1-0 victory on Sunday.

Alexander-Arnold, whose contract is expiring at the end of this season, has been persistently linked with a move to Real Madrid. Although he's remained tight-lipped about his future, he's expected to make a summer transfer to the Spanish titans. Liverpool will receive nothing if Alexander-Arnold does leave, despite being, for many, worth a high eight-figure sum on the open market.

But after he netted the decisive goal on his 350th outing for the Reds at the weekend, speculation has swirled that he could in fact stay put. His exuberant celebration, which saw him rip off his shirt, slide on his knees, and jubilantly face the away fans, has got people talking about a potential U-turn.

Former Manchester United and Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster has suggested that Alexander-Arnold's actions hint at a possible new deal with Liverpool after Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah recently penned new contracts.

Questioning what Alexander-Arnold's celebration could mean on his 'Fozcast' podcast, Foster said: "I'm genuinely not sure right now. I'm trying to think if that was me in that situation and I'm taking my shirt off and I'm looking at the crowd. It's the way that he looks at the crowd, I think we can read into this a little bit.

"I think it has to come into it when you score a goal, you run to that crowd and you see that love and adoration.

"As it stands, you're a Liverpool legend and they love you. If you were to sign a new deal today or tomorrow, you're in the history books of that club forever."

Despite his roots in the city, Alexander-Arnold has faced backlash from some sections of the Liverpool faithful after reports of a potential switch to Los Blancos became public. Foster said he understood the supporters' discontent, issuing stern advice to the player about the dangers of departing for Madrid.

Foster said: "He's leaving when he could have done this a couple years ago. He could have left and got the club £70m or £80m and fans will see it as an insult to them and to the football club by not getting what they could have got for him and then going off to Real Madrid to join his mate, Jude [Bellingham].

"That's how they will see it. I think he is getting all carried away with Real Madrid and [thinking] the grass is greener but I don't think the grass is greener."

In the event that Alexander-Arnold makes the move away from Anfield, young prospect Conor Bradley is tipped to take over the right-back slot. At just 21, Bradley has already shown promise in his performances for Liverpool this term, racking up 15 appearances in the Premier League and featuring five times in the Champions League.

Foster has warned that replacing Alexander-Arnold is no mean feat, hinting that any successor might initially struggle to match his exceptional performances.

He said: "The problem they've got is if Trent does go, Connor Bradley will probably be there at right wing-back. There's a lot of people saying that he's a perfect replacement, but you can't just perfectly replace Trent Alexander Arnold.

"You can't just replace one of the best right wing-backs. It's not as simple as that. I don't care who it is that's coming through the youth ranks."