TRENT WANTED THE ONE THING LIVERPOOL COULD NOT GIVE HIM ...A NEW CHALLENGE

WHEN defender Trent Alexander-Arnold told Arne Slot he was leaving, it was met with the disappointment that is now being felt across the red half of Merseyside.

- BY CHRIS MCKENNA X@cmckennasport

The right-back could not be convinced to stay.

Liverpool had tried everything. They offered him a package that would have made him the best paid full-back in the Premier League.

Richard Hughes made it his first duty when he got the job as sporting director last April to call Alexander-Arnold's representatives. He wanted the player to know just how important he was. But having won everything there is to win at the club, he could not give the player the other thing he wanted - a new challenge.

When Liverpool lifted the FA Cup in May 2022, Alexander-Arnold had won every major honour possible with the Reds by the age of 23.

There was the challenge of keeping Liverpool at the top of English football and surpassing Manchester United on 20 league titles while adding to their six European Cups.