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Topics: Liverpool, John Barnes, Michael Owen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Real Madrid, Football, Premier League, Transfer News, Champions League
Liverpool legend John Barnes destroyed Michael Owen when discussing Trent Alexander-Arnold’s potential move to Real Madrid.
Barnes, 61, and Owen, 45, were part of Premier League Productions’ live broadcast team for Liverpool’s 1-0 win against Leicester City at the King Power on Sunday (April 20).
And it was not long before the conversation turned to Alexander-Arnold, 26, who scored the winning goal of the game with a left-footed half volley before tossing his shirt in a show of pure emotion.
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Of course, the right-back has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid upon the expiration of his contract in June.
He was directly asked by a Sky Sports reporter about whether he was leaving Liverpool this summer, to which the 26-year-old replied: "Look, obviously, like I've said all season, I am not going to speak on my situation, I am not going to go into details but these days like today are always special: scoring goals, winning games, being close to winning titles and being in title races, they are special moments that will live for me forever. I am glad to be a part of them."
Barnes, a two-time First Division winner with Liverpool, and Owen, who played for the Reds and Real, both gave their thoughts on the situation.
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Barnes joked: "Well... well, there was an opportunity for a Liverpool player to go to Real Madrid and wear the white shirt, but he didn't. So, some of us can resist it.”
The 61-year-old was linked with a move to Los Blancos during the late 1980s when Welshman John Toshack was managing the La Liga outfit – although no such deal materialised which meant Barnes stayed at Anfield until 1997 when he then joined Newcastle United.
As for Owen, he won the Ballon d’Or in 2001 and three years later, in 2004, signed for Real Madrid in a deal worth around £8m plus then-Madrid midfielder Antonio Nunez.
Speaking to the ECHO in December 2024, Owen revealed how he was open to giving Alexander-Arnold advise.
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Owen said: “Would I be open for a chat? Of course, if he reached out for me, yeah. I have lots of people that I speak to.
“I work in television, I'm interviewing people all the time. I'm covering games, I’m in and around places and TV studios. I'm always chatting to people and people ask for advice and things like that. If Trent called me then of course I would."