Trent Alexander-Arnold

[Tatterdemalion]

We were in a position to make a call and we did - focus on the league Scrabbling to get a few million out of him would have disrupted the campaign.

They're smart business men, I'm sure his contract didn't suprise them by running down. I can't imagine any of this suprised them considerring how quick they were onto a replacement.

I still dont get why people are butt hurt. Homegrown so he didn't cost us anything and put in an excellent shift in our shirt, winning everything, providing far more in commercial growth than we could ever sell him for, and he needs a new challenge.

Its not a big deal? Its is very sad to see him go, but all understandable.

Not feeling especially butt hurt by it I just feel the club weren't in control of the situation. Fair enough if you disagree, but 3 players entering the last year of their contracts at the same time would suggest otherwise. I really don't care that much about TAA, I just think the club lost control of the situation is all, and that's not a good thing generally.

[EwarWoo]

We were in a position to make a call and we did - focus on the league Scrabbling to get a few million out of him would have disrupted the campaign.

They're smart business men, I'm sure his contract didn't suprise them by running down. I can't imagine any of this suprised them considerring how quick they were onto a replacement.

I still dont get why people are butt hurt. Homegrown so he didn't cost us anything and put in an excellent shift in our shirt, winning everything, providing far more in commercial growth than we could ever sell him for, and he needs a new challenge.

Its not a big deal? Its is very sad to see him go, but all understandable.

[Tatterdemalion]

I dont mind when you start, just put a number on it and offset it as described. How much did it really cost us not to sell whenever you thought we should. I doubt it's a high number in which case why would we.

I already illustrated in my previous comments that that would be a pretty meaningless exercise. My point is pretty clear - we should have been in a position to make a call on it, and we weren't.

[BG1973]

What about last season? With a year left - that's when a decision should be made, not when the new season starts and he can't be sold until he can talk to clubs about a freebie.

I dont mind when you start, just put a number on it and offset it as described. How much did it really cost us not to sell whenever you thought we should. I doubt it's a high number in which case why would we.

[DerKrampus]

It's honestly just bad timing - TAA may have signed if Klopp had kept his intentions hidden until the end of the season.

[Kenneth]

Yeah, but we had to give Slot a fighting chance.

[Tatterdemalion]

The power is with the player, as you say, you can't sell someone without them agreeing to move. People seem to forget that.

At the end of the day, we were on a hiding to nothing. Had we sold in January for £50m and ended up second in the league, people would be blaming FSG, we keep him here and win the league and get £10m and people blame FSG.

Players have all the power, if they so wish.

We should have been in a position to (decide to) sell him in the previous summer, when we could line up a replacement. The fact that we weren't is where we made a mistake. Sure if he decides to stay to run down his contract, there's not much we can do - but at least in the summer we could have offered him to Madrid and lined up a replacement. Waiting until January, when he can negotiate a free is obviously a mistake. FWIW I think we would have still won the league without him in the 2H.

[Tatterdemalion]

What point was that though? Salah and VVD would have been sold too on the same timescale. You cant force a player to leave either. I just dont think its possible if a player wants the free transfer. We dont know when he made his decision, or when he informed the club.Or if the negotiation was in bad faith.

My point isn't that the club should have sold them all because they all had less than a year on their contract. My point is that by the time they have just over a year left, the club should be making a decision about whether they are likely to sign a new contract or not, having already opened negotiations. Admittedly they might get this wrong, but what we got wrong was that we weren't even in a position to make that decision as we hadn't even started to negotiate (it would seem) and that was due to the upheaval in the backroom staff if I remember correctly. Sure - we may have incorrectly agreed to sell VvD or Salah, but equally they may have refused a move on the basis that they want to stay and sign a new contract. Obviously TAA would not have (assuming Madrid came in for him).

[Tatterdemalion]

Put a number on that and then offset it against cl qualification/league win this year.

What about last season? With a year left - that's when a decision should be made, not when the new season starts and he can't be sold until he can talk to clubs about a freebie.

[DerKrampus]

Can someone move this thread to the ex-players section now.

You'll have to wait for the mods to remember that they run a forum.

[SB]

You sound like a guy that has been dumped by his girlfriend and you are trying to move on...

to the obvious & also Frank with a girlfriend lol

[5europeancups]

Can someone move this thread to the ex-players section now.

You sound like a guy that has been dumped by his girlfriend and you are trying to move on...

[fabinho]

What point was that though? Salah and VVD would have been sold too on the same timescale. You cant force a player to leave either. I just dont think its possible if a player wants the free transfer. We dont know when he made his decision, or when he informed the club.Or if the negotiation was in bad faith.

The power is with the player, as you say, you can't sell someone without them agreeing to move. People seem to forget that.

At the end of the day, we were on a hiding to nothing. Had we sold in January for £50m and ended up second in the league, people would be blaming FSG, we keep him here and win the league and get £10m and people blame FSG.

Players have all the power, if they so wish.

[Charly]

Got him to sign a contract or sold him when it appeared he wouldn't. I don't know, I just think letting him run down his contract was a costly error.

What point was that though? Salah and VVD would have been sold too on the same timescale. You cant force a player to leave either. I just dont think its possible if a player wants the free transfer. We dont know when he made his decision, or when he informed the club.Or if the negotiation was in bad faith.

[RedReet]

Do you think you’ll ever be able to get over this bizarre obsession you have for Trent and Bellingham?

I wonder if he calls himself Baitman on the Madrid forums?