Rio Ferdinand sends message to Liverpool fans amid hostility shown towards TAA

Rio Ferdinand believes Liverpool supporters should thank Trent Alexander-Arnold for his years of service and direct their anger at the club instead of criticising him for his decision to join Real Madrid on a free transfer at the end of the season.

While Mail Sport understands that claims in Spain the proposed move had already been signed and sealed are premature, it is believed both Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid are confident the deal will go through this summer.

Indeed, the champions of Europe have been bullish over their chances of landing him for a number of months and have been planning for life with him in their side.

Real Madrid have been permitted to talk to him since January 1 - and have been doing so - but a direct approach on New Year's Eve to sign him in January was rebuffed.

Reds supporters have publicly vented their anger at his bombshell decision to leave, claiming their academy graduate is turning his back on his boyhood club for nothing, but Ferdinand has insisted he should instead receive a hero's farewell.

'You should be saying thank you and good luck,' said Ferdinand. 'Trent Alexander-Arnold, you didn't pay a penny for him. He's one of your own and he won it all.

'This kid has been there, worn the shirt, been one of your best players, most productive players in one of the most successful periods in recent years.

'And because he's choosing to go and leave the club, not for a rival, not for a team in the Premier League, he's going to the biggest club right now in the world.  You should be saying, "I'd love him to stay but well done."

'You should be clapping him off and giving him a hero's welcome when he eventually comes back in 15 years, when he finishes his career. The club have to take some responsibility. They've allowed him to get to this point.

'When he was 18 months out, they should have told the club that he wanted to leave... rubbish. There are too many moving parts.

'He might not have known then where he wanted to go.

'If it was Real Madrid he wanted to go to only, 18 months ago they have a right back who's one of the best in the world. [Dani] Carvajal was flying, captain of his country, winning the Champions League, so the spot's not there for him.

'The situation might have been sped up by Carvajal's injury. So the situation changes. They're not taking any of that into account. I just feel it's not all on Alexander-Arnold.'

Reds legend Jamie Carragher has also waded into the toxicity surrounding Alexander-Arnold's departure, saying the move is simply part and parcel of football.

'It seems like there's not one thing people are unhappy with – it's leaving on a free or that he should have come out and told the club earlier – people are angry for three or four different things,' Carragher said.

'I'm not angry about him going on a free. In an ideal world, Liverpool would get £70million or £80m for him to reinvest, but you can't have it both ways as a supporter.

'If Liverpool sign someone on a free in the summer, we'd all be delighted, so does that mean that his former club should absolutely hate him?

'Also, when you're a local player you don't cost anything – Trent going on a free is like Virgil van Dijk leaving for £75m, we'd still break even.'

Alexander-Arnold endured a frosty return to training on Monday, days after it emerged he has agreed to leave Anfield. The defender, who joined the club's academy at the age of six, has made 349 senior appearances to date.

He has won eight trophies during a glittering stay - including the Premier League and the Champions League - and also earned 33 caps for England.