Trent Will Sign, Though He Is Right to Wait

In the aftermath of Liverpool‘s emphatic 3-0 home win over Bournemouth, various quotes began to emerge from the Liverpool vice-captain, Trent Alexander Arnold, who finally spoke about his professional future and long-term aspirations on Merseyside. There appears to be a clear desire (from the England superstar) to emulate his own footballing hero, Steven Gerrard, by one day captaining his hometown club. I suspect that it will take up to three-years for the current skipper, Virgil van Dijk, to relinquish that celebrated armband, however, I can still envisage a timeline and evolution that allows Trent to lead the team through his own veteran years.

In addition to that desire, the world-class fallback also stated that he was eager for his new Head Coach, Arne Slot, to rebuild him into the most well-rounded and defensively capable player possible. In the previous eighteen-months (before the summer preseason), the LFC community were witness to the hybrid initiative’s rise and fall within an inconsistent system of play. The street football which was engineered by the reds former first team coach, Pepijn Lijnders, was a cavalier endeavour which allowed vibrant moments of play, yet ultimately the structure was always likely to falter.

In the aftermath of change, is has taken just six-games for Liverpool‘s famous no.66 to fully embrace this tantalising new philosophy, which is built more upon a more clinical edge and tactical approach that its predecessor. Instinct appears to have been placed into a pot of surgical incision and the reds homegrown hero is now very much approving of what he is sampling.

How Has the New Regime Altered the Mindset of The Player?

The wonderful and emotional tenure of the former Anfield manager, Jürgen Klopp, will stand the test of time and should be remembered affectionately for all the success that it achieved. Though the Merseyside giants were not quite on their knees when the illustrious German arrived, there is no doubting that their previous standing in world football was very much on the peripheral of the elite.

A gegenpressing style of play and winning formula was built upon brilliance in recruitment, under the watch of Klopp and his former Sporting Director, Michael Edwards. In that specific circumstance and regarding the then teenage prodigy, Trent Alexander Arnold, he himself was coached from a talented playmaker and into the world’s most ferocious attacking fallback.

Throughout the glorious reign of the former Borussia Dortmund manager, a plethora of silverware and adoration solidified the Liverpool squad, one which was able to galvanise and overcome the odds to win both the Premier League and Champions League. The reds were at one point the greatest team on earth, however, that level was never sustainable with the internal power struggle.

Before the beginning of last season there was a regeneration necessitated by the failures of the campaign prior. The squad rejuvenation (and some brilliant individual performances) allowed the final season of the outgoing 56-year-old to be a success, though that success inevitably waned towards the end of that campaign. As the red engine ran out of steam and the voice of the soon to be departed manager began to weaken, the limitations (created by the system) saw an alarming drop-off in form.

The club’s enforced alterations allowed the new sporting CEO, Michael Edwards, to identify and appoint a masterful tactician who would embrace the ever-changing landscape of the game. With fresh ideas and ingenuity (on the training ground), we can now see visible improvement in multiple players throughout the group. Ryan Gravenberch, Luis Díaz, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibrahima Konaté, and Cody Gakpo, all appear revitalised and realigned by the new boss and his methods at the AXA Training Centre.

In the case of the 31-cap England international, TAA, he himself appears more than willing to commit his future after being won over by his new steward and the projected pathway to future success. Clarity in his role has been embraced and accepted, which is the news that all Liverpool fans wanted to hear.

Why Has Expiring Contracts Taken So Long to Negotiate?

Alongside the subject of this piece, both the record-breaking goal scorer, Mohamed Salah, and the world’s leading centre back, Virgil van Dijk, have seen their current deals enter the final twelve-months until expiration. Ultimately, the resignation of their former manager, Klopp, should have only ever been undertaken once new deals were signed by that trio of players.

Based upon that failure by the previous regime, I would assume that each man was notified of the Germans impending departure (ahead of time) and thereby chose to wait and see what materialised. That enforced delay created frustration within the fanbase, something which was not created by the new CEO nor the new Sporting Director, who merely inherited those three dwindling contracts.

The only pathway that could be undertaken at that point was to find the ideal managerial successor, in the hope that he would be able to win the hearts and confidence of those that were perched on the contractual fence.

Following Liverpool‘s destruction of Manchester United and their 0-3 win at Old Trafford, the 32-year-old Egyptian King, Salah, immediately proclaimed his desire to stay, whereas Virgil has also stated his excitement at what can be achieved at Anfield in the next two years. Following this latest victory (over Bournemouth) and a sublime team performance, the 25-year-old club vice-captain, Trent, has finally made his feelings known and I now see three players willing to commit their future to the club.

When Is the Deal Likely to Be Signed?

With several deals that will see FSG potentially commit to £1m in wages per week, such negotiations will take time to finalise. None of the relevant players would have entertained entering final talks, without being certain that they would be able to challenge for silverware in the coming years.

The next two months will allow the sporting executives to iron out the details of three huge contracts, which will have to suit all parties. Not until his most recent comments could we have expected the final round of talks to commence with Trent and his advisers. The current positivity will enable the club to finalise the huge offers that will surely be incoming to all three world class assets. if I were to guess at when these contract extensions will start being presented, October or November would be a likely landing spot for such announcements.

January would represent the moment for interested suitors to make formal contact with the players, therefore, 2024 must be the year of such renewals. Unless something dramatically changes (on the football pitch) and with the historic club currently sat in second place in the Premier League table, I have little doubt that all three will be tied down to extensions before the New Year. It is pointless for any supporters to become too embroiled in the delay, as both Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards can only be reactive to the hands they were given.

Success is being attained on the pitch and the executives away from the training ground will want to ensure that those within are retained for the long-term. Trusting the process is one of the hardest things for a fanbase to accomplish, though in this moment I believe no news is good news and something that will lead to huge relief.