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Topics: Wayne Rooney, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Premier League, Football
Luke Davies
Topics: Wayne Rooney, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Premier League, Football
Wayne Rooney has given an alternative take on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s potential move to Real Madrid - and he genuinely has a point.
Rooney, 39, is Manchester United’s record goal scorer and came through the ranks at Everton, so you would be forgiven for thinking his take on a Liverpool player would be frosty or at least slightly biased.
However, earlier this week he gave a refreshing stance on Alexander-Arnold's situation after it was widely reported last week that the England international was close to finalising a five-year contract at Real Madrid - meaning he would leave his boyhood club for free upon the expiration of his contract at the end of June.
Rooney found himself in a similar situation in August 2004 after he burst onto the scene at the Toffees before Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd came calling – although Everton did receive £25.6m from the sale.
The 39-year-old wrote a column for BBC Sport published on Monday detailing his thoughts on Alexander-Arnold’s current situation.
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“As, I found out myself, just because there are talks over a transfer does not mean it will happen,” Rooney wrote.
“It is well known that some United fans protested outside my house when they thought I was going to leave in 2010, but I'd agreed my new contract by then.
“Alexander-Arnold has not signed anything with Real yet and it would not surprise me if, even after all this speculation, he ends up staying at Anfield after all.
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“A lot can happen before a contract is signed - as I know from experience.”
The former England forward also revealed that a deal between United and Madrid looked “likely” after he told the Premier League club that he didn’t want to sign a new deal before putting a transfer request in back in 2010.
Rooney then compared Real’s current team – namely Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe – to Pep Guardiola’s iconic Barcelona side with Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets at its spine.
“I would not blame Alexander-Arnold for wanting to do something a little bit different - like a fresh challenge in a new country - Spain would be a really good move for him,” Rooney explained.