Jamie Carragher believes Trent Alexander-Arnold or his representatives encouraged Real Madrid to bid for him last week.
Madrid submitted a £20million bid last week to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu immediately rather than wait until the summer for his contract to expire, but the Reds rejected this.
And Carragher says there is no way Los Blancos would have made an offer unless they had some form of assurance that the star would be interested in joining.
He was speaking after Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Manchester United, a match in which the right-back was criticized for his performances, with manager Arne Slot forced to deny suggestions he had been distracted by Madrid's advance.
'They are bullies, Real Madrid. My problem with it is that they have bid on the back of Trent Alexander-Arnold or his agent and are saying, “Make an offer.” Because they wouldn't make a bid, they wouldn't do that unless they get the go-ahead,” Carragher told the Gary Neville Podcast.
'But all those parties know that Liverpool will reject that anyway, so what are you trying to create? What sound are you trying to make? Liverpool will not sell Trent for a league title in January.
'What I'm saying is: let's not be naive here. No one makes an offer now unless they have already talked to the player about it. If it is accepted, would you come? People know before they bid.
'And there have clearly been conversations. I have no problem with that; that's the nature of the game. Trent's contract situation, I'm sure he's in talks with Real Madrid and maybe other players and he has to make a decision.
'I don't think I was happy about that at all when it came out. For me, we're probably not the best people to talk about this because we've never been involved in a transfer and we're probably two of the biggest club men who always put the club first.
'But I just think that, in the situation that Liverpool are in, it is impossible that an agent or Trent Alexander-Arnold does not know that the offer is coming in before it goes in. And if you don't want that to come in, you say: No.'
Alexander-Arnold was widely criticized for his performance against United, with Roy Keane criticizing him for defending like a 'schoolboy' and joking that he would be better off at Tranmere Rovers. The defender gave the ball away for Lisandro Martinex's opening goal.
Manager Slot said defending against Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot was the problem – not being distracted by Madrid's overtures.
Gary Neville was unsure whether the player or his camp had told Madrid to bid, but branded the bid as 'insulting' and claimed Alexander-Arnold would be naive if he expected to leave mid-season.
'A bid of £20m for him is nonsense. I'll be honest: it's insulting. There must be a certain respect between big clubs,” he said.
'If you offer €20 million for that player, you know that a club like Liverpool will not accept that offer. So in a way you're almost insulting them.
'That's quite something to say, that Trent Alexander-Arnold or his people have told Madrid to make an offer.
'From Trent Alexander-Arnold's perspective, he would be completely naive to think that Liverpool are going to let him leave mid-season because the message that would be sent to everyone would be wrong.'
Alexander-Arnold joined Liverpool at the age of six and has achieved all the major honors in the shirt, including being named vice-captain behind Virgil van Dijk.
Carragher says he wouldn't begrudge the 26-year-old experiencing life in another country and with another football powerhouse.
However, he did reveal his one 'disappointment' in the star.
“When I look at Trent, the way he dresses, the places he goes on holiday, he has that kind of David Beckham feeling about him, he has that,” he said.
'There is some criticism that he might leave for free. I can assure you that that doesn't bother me because it came for free. That's the same as selling Van Dijk for £75m. I'm not too concerned about that. And you know what, it's his life, if he wants to go to Madrid.
'My only disappointment is that as a local player and Liverpool supporter you are now in a position to play for a team that can draw level with Manchester United in terms of league titles.
'You could be the man who can win a Premier League title in two or three years if Virgil van Dijk continues. You could be the man to win us two more European Cups.
'So the feeling among Liverpool supporters is that Liverpool cannot be doing any better at the moment when it comes to the top of the table, the top of the Champions League. When you are a fan, every supporter thinks: 'you are me on the pitch.'
'That's how I felt. When I was on the pitch, I embodied what the supporters in the stands were. So the frustration is that this cannot be improved.
'The feeling in Liverpool is: why is a local player who loves this club as a supporter, can successfully help this club to another level, can become captain of the club, paid a lot of money and a lot of luck for him? do you want to leave?
'That's where the frustration comes from for me as a local player. For me, in his position, I wouldn't go anywhere else.”
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