Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold has been warned he risks ruining his Liverpool legacy should he move to Real Madrid.
The soon to be out of contact full back is widely expected to move to Madrid this summer but Michael Owen has warned doing so will cost Alexander-Arnold some of his reputation.
Owen made that move himself in 2004 and as a result, is not regarded in the same bracket as the likes of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher by the Anfield crowd.
The former striker however says that Alexander-Arnold must decide if he wants a “new challenge” by playing elsewhere.
“It is a personal preference for Trent, there is no right or wrong answer,” Owen told OLBG.com.
“He’s been there, seen it, done it, won every single trophy there is to win at Liverpool.
“He’s been a one-club man all his life, in terms of his life, does he want to have a nice experience and maybe live abroad, playing for a different team, new challenge, or not?
“Obviously, both options come with pros and cons.
“It might damage his legacy a little bit, well, in fact, it will. It shouldn’t, but it will, let’s be right about it.”
Owen also reckons that given Liverpool and Madrid can both compete for major honours, it comes down to whether Alexander-Aronold would feel any regret if he never played elsewhere.
“It’s a total personal preference,” Owen continued. “He’s going from one great team to another, it’s not like we’re saying, he can win more or less trophies or have more or less money, I don’t think any of those things really come into it.
“I think it’s more life experience, ‘do you want to have a new challenge you’ve never had in your career?’, ‘would you retire and be a bit regretful that you never experienced anything different?’ or ‘would you be a bit regretful if you did try something different and then Liverpool fans don’t hold you in the esteem that they probably should because you left?’ and so it’s personal preference.”
Alexander-Arnold has not publicly spoken about why he wishes to join Madrid but he is one of three key players Liverpool risk losing in the summer.
Fellow defender Virgil van Dijk and top goalscorer Mo Salah are also out of contract in the summer and a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes reckons all three have decided to leave.
“Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil van Dijk have all decided to leave the club at the end of the season,” the report said.
“The lack of confidence that the team can fight for all the titles again in the short term has been a determining factor in their decision not to renew their contracts.
“Although the Premier League seems to be on track, the feeling that the project has lost momentum has led these key players to seek new challenges in their careers.
“Alexander-Arnold’s future is reportedly already settled and he’s targeting Real Madrid, where he would join as a free agent to strengthen the right flank.
“Meanwhile, Salah and Van Dijk are exploring options in Europe and the Middle East, with the Saudi Pro League an attractive destination for both.”