Silly season has descended upon Anfield, and it's not even about transfers. Liverpool fans think they might have spotted a Trent Alexander-Arnold contract hint .
The lack of signings seems to be sending certain Liverpool fans a little stir-crazy. And not only is Arne Slot's side one of just two Premier League teams yet to dip into the transfer market, there is also growing anxiety on the contract front.
As well as Alexander-Arnold, fellow high-earners Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are into the final year of their Anfield deals. But it's the vice-captain who is the source of the most anxiety, amid persistent Real Madrid rumors and the fear that he will spend his peak years somewhere other than his boyhood club.
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There's no need to panic just yet. Liverpool has seen significant churn behind the scenes in recent years, but Michael Edwards is back in a position of power with FSG now, and the club is in a good position to sit down and assess things like contracts.
Since his return, Liverpool has had to navigate a high-stakes Premier League run-in. After that, Alexander-Arnold was off to Euro 2024 — there's no doubt that there will be talks, but they will likely come in due course, with an opportune moment not yet arising.
Unless, that is, Liverpool has already secretly agreed an extension with Alexander-Arnold, and is planning some kind of grand Anfield unveiling. Never mind the fact that minor work is still ongoing at the stadium, which is being re-transformed after a summer of concerts, and that the Reds don't play there until the friendly against Sevilla on August 11, following a tour of the US.
Fans have spotted some coverings in the Anfield Road End, which from a certain angle look to be masking some kind of written message. In particular, the first two look to be in the rough shape of 66: Alexander-Arnold's number. The others could (just about) be construed as reading 2028 or 2029.
Edwards was always good at doing business quietly: take the arrival of Fabinho , for instance, so swiftly after the Champions League final disappointment in 2018. But by the same token, it's unlikely he would allow news of a new deal for Alexander-Arnold to be leaked via a bit of tarpaulin in the stands.
Unfortunately, the far more mundane explanation does appear to be that Liverpool is completing some finishing touches, after the Anfield Road End could only be opened in phases last season following construction delays. The shapes fans have seen in the stands? Just coincidence, sadly, with a healthy dose of wishful thinking.
Still, Liverpool now has the chance to do the funniest thing possible. Hopefully, an agreement with Alexander-Arnold is only a matter of time, and the club has just been handed the perfect way to announce it.
Liverpool.com says: Come on, guys. A hidden message in the Anfield stands?
For one thing, it would be strange to pick the Anfield Road End, with a big stunt likely to utilize the Kop instead. Moreover, with all due respect to the highly accomplished media team at Liverpool, we've not seen massive gestures for even the most high-profile of moves.
We had Thiago humming along to his new chant in the dressing room, and Salah posing for a quick snap by the pool on holiday when he signed his extension. It would be a change of pace, to put it mildly, to give a whole stand a major facelift in order to confirm the Alexander-Arnold news.
Still, you have to respect the delusion. But at this point, any kind of Alexander-Arnold contract news would be such a relief that nobody would pay the slightest attention to the manner of announcement.
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