Trent Alexander-Arnold's future was brought into sharp focus this week as Real Madrid looked to sign him in the January transfer window.
Liverpool have clearly rejected this move as they have no interest in letting the right-back go and still retain hope of him signing a new contract. But the Spanish giants' approach has sparked real concern on Merseyside that the local star may be on his way out of Anfield.
His current contract expires in June and that means he can leave the club for nothing in a few months. There is a lot to think about; leaving a legacy for nothing and moving from a side that could win the Premier League and European Cup this season?
It has caused quite a stir and has divided some supporters this week. Mirror Football spoke to some lifelong Liverpool supporters who work for fan-run media to get their personal views.
Neil Atkinson, presenter and CEO of The Anfield Wrap
I don't think this is a good time for any player to leave Liverpool, but certainly not for a player as important as Trent Alexander-Arnold.
It will be sad if he chooses to go and it would be sad in any context. When it comes to the emotion, I don't really care whether the club gets money for him or not; Liverpool makes more money than almost any other club in the world.
Under no circumstances should there be a fee that Liverpool would accept for such a special player. Liverpool also rightly does not use release clauses. In general, there is more to life and football than just money.
But if he chooses to leave at the end of the season, then fair enough. People can make bad choices or choices that I don't agree with. People can do new things with their lives and careers for any reason. It could be money, the challenge, a new way of life, a different kind of club more focused on celebrities. It can be any combination of the above.
People get new experiences and a new life. People are moving to and from the city of Liverpool all the time and that's a good thing. Alexander-Arnold was brilliant for Liverpool and they never had to pay for him in the first place. He doesn't owe anyone anything.
The club will be fine without him. It would be a shame not to see how he makes breathtaking things look mundane, but many other clubs have won trophies in recent years without him playing for them. Liverpool has only become stronger after Jurgen Klopp. There is no reason to think that the loss of Alexander-Arnold will have a huge impact on the club's prospects.
Winning trophies should be the only concern for Liverpool FC and its supporters. Especially this season when everything seems possible. Whatever is going on with him is simply no bigger than the chase for a league title that we can all celebrate together as supporters.
If he leaves and returns in the shirt of any opponent, he should receive the same brutal welcome that Luis Suarez did for Barcelona in 2019. And by the way, if he scores against us – all the best – he should celebrate. Football loves and needs the needle.
He could very well choose to stay and achieve true legendary status. That would be a smart move. But it's his life and his choice. And until then, there is still a twentieth national title to be won and he plays a major role in that.
Josh Sexton, producer of The Anfield Wrap
Certainly a big part of why the coverage and fan feeling surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold has been so much more intense is because he's a local boy.
Virgil van Dijk is the eldest of the trio and has been as quiet as Trent, yet there is a general confidence that he wants to stay and continue his career here.
Mo Salah's desire to make the lack of negotiations more public has led to a greater degree of coverage and fan sentiment, but that weighs more heavily in the player's favor than was the case with Trent. It's a no-brainer that the club should keep Salah, while with Trent it's a no-brainer that he would want to stay.
It would certainly damage his legacy if he were to leave the club, and he only has to look at the situation of Michael Owen and Steve McManaman to find out why. Owen was a Ballon d'Or winner and won a lot at Liverpool, although his relationship with the fans was always a little more complicated as he played against Robbie Fowler in many circles.
In Macca's case, he was Fowler's best friend and an absolute fan favorite at a time when there wasn't much to celebrate. Now, like Owen, he is known more as a maligned pundit who has fallen between the feces of his great unlove in Liverpool and a small fish in a big pond at the Bernabeu. That sentiment alone is indicative of the difference in fan culture surrounding the two clubs and should serve as a cautionary tale for Trent.
It would certainly be salt in the wound if Trent left for nothing. While fans won't find the idea of contributing to transfer warchests and the like particularly interesting, the idea of Trent running out of contract to force the move would be unavoidable.
Real's financial situation is more than just public, so there is no other way they can afford to pay what Trent would be worth. Criticism of Trent would be more than justified. Liverpool fans take great pride in the arrival of local lads, and Trent was even decorated to have his name sung as 'the Scouser in our team', but with that love obviously comes a higher level of expectation.
Fans expect that the legacy you want to leave will be achieved by spending your peak years at Anfield – à la Steven Gerrard.
Ste Hoare, head of operations at The Redmen TV
It's a total mess. To see your vice-captain, in the middle of his prime, floundering around at Real Madrid without a contract is a pretty awful place for Liverpool to find themselves.
But players will come and go from Liverpool and the club will always recover. I love Trent and I think he's fantastic, but we've lost players who were at least as good as him and we've always managed to fill gaps.
The main problem, however, is the lack of compensation to replace him. I'm a big fan of Conor Bradley and I think the team can compete with him as the starting right back, but that's a lot to put on him.
That said, it's still very important that Trent stays. He is first and foremost a brilliant footballer and any club would miss him, but it also looks great for a club when a player of his age and ability leaves for free.
I have seen players leave Liverpool in the past to win trophies, and to an extent it was understandable, but for a local lad seemingly considering leaving at a time when the squad is not only competing but leading the race. for the biggest prizes is really disappointing.
When you play for Liverpool you are treated differently, there is no doubt about that. You are more honored and supported because people from this city like to stick together and support their own country, that will never change.
If you then move away from that, and do it on a free transfer, you have to accept that a significant number of people will be angry about it. If Trent wanted to leave in the middle of his contract, there would certainly be anger from some supporters. There is no doubt about that, but in any case the club would receive a very significant compensation.
Losing the club's most valuable asset for free would be hugely damaging. I think everyone understands why Real Madrid would be tempting for any footballer. They are undoubtedly the biggest club in the world.
However, Liverpool are also quite a big club and they are competing for the absolute top prizes, so I don't think it is unreasonable to ask players to show some loyalty and stay if they are paid a competitive wage and have the chance to win the title . biggest matches.
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