Rooney supports Alexander-Arnold’s rumoured Real Madrid switch, says ‘I was tempted by move to Spain too’
New Delhi: Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has stood up for Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is said to be leaving his boyhood club for Real Madrid this summer. The English striker revealed he too was tempted by a move to Spain and understands what the wing-back is thinking.
Real Madrid are working to close Trent Alexander-Arnold’s pre-contract agreement as quickly as possible. The English wingback has been on Los Blancos’ radar for two years and talks are undergoing between both parties in hopes of striking a deal before the end of the season.
“If Trent Alexander-Arnold does join Real Madrid this summer, fair play to him. I was once tempted to make a big move to Spain myself. If he was to leave Liverpool for any other club you might wonder why, but, because it is Real we are talking about, I don’t think you could question it as a career move.
“Real are the biggest club in the world with an incredible history, so it would be a massive opportunity and I’d understand if he felt it was too good to turn down,” wrote Rooney in a column for BBC.
Madrid had identified Trent as their top priority transfer target for next season as per reports in October. Los Blancos are aiming to bring in defensive reinforcements at the end of the ongoing season and are admirers of Trent, who will be out of contract in June.
Alongside Trent, Mohammed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk are also running close to the end of their contract. The trio are a pivotal part of the Liverpool side and have been so for a better part of a decade. The Anfield outlet is risking letting their core leave for free after not being able to close an agreement with the trio.
Trent has represented his boyhood club on 349 occasions and has found the back of the net 22 times whilst providing 87 assists.
Madrid will certainly look to bring in reinforcements as the side is currently heavily depleted with recurring injuries seeming to be the theme of the season. Alongside, Carvajal’s ACL injury, which ruled him out for the remainder of the season, the side is also missing the services of Ferlan Mendy and Eder Militao.
“When I told Manchester United in 2010 that I did not want to sign a new deal and put in a transfer request, three clubs came in for me.
Manchester City are often talked about as being one of them, but I don’t think that was ever an option for me – the teams who made an approach were Chelsea, Real and Barcelona. In my head, I was ready to go and play in Spain and some talks did take place,” revealed Rooney.