Liverpool, England - When Trent Alexander-Arnold raised his arms high and lost his applause in the Anfield crowd after Liverpool's side beat the Premier League 5-1, it was an ecstatic Kop, a joyful Kop crow: "He is Alexander-Arnold, Alexander-Arnold in our team."

It has been a familiarity with Merseyside since the 26-year-old right-back made his debut in 2016, highlighting his rise from a college graduate to a Premier League star. But now Alexander-Arnold has announced that he will leave Liverpool when his contract expires at the end of the season, the song is likely to have aired in Anfield.

"Every day, every day, every day, I feel like I need new changes, which is a new challenge for me as a player and as a person," Alexander-Arnold revealed in a social media post on Monday. "And I think now is the right time for me to do that."

Although a deal has not yet been terminated, the new challenge will certainly bring Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, with the senior figure at Bernabéu being "very optimistic" about signing the England International in a free transfer.

The timing of these reports in the Spanish capital is combined with the breakdown of contract negotiations at Anfield, sources told ESPN - after months of negotiations with sports director Richard-Arnold - Alexander-Arnold rejected his new term for becoming one of the world's best defenders.

Alexander-Arnold's decision to leave was not promoted by economic incentives, but a decision to try something new. Considering the defender joined Liverpool’s academy at the age of 6 and won everything he won at Anfield – two Premier League titles (2020 and 2025), a single FA Cup, EFL Cup and Community Shield (all 2022), and a UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cups, UEFA Super Cupl, FIFA Club World Cup (all 2019) – in his logic – lags behind him for a long time.

But football is an emotional game, and in some parts of the Reds’ fan base, logic will never be combined with images of Alexander-Arnold as a native hero. For some persuasiveness from Liverpool, his decision to leave will make most of the past decade seem intended to match, and could even erode college graduate Steven Gerrard. Now, it's more likely to be compared with Michael Owen and Steve McManaman - both of which have been criticized for Liverpool supporters for swapping Merseyside to Madrid in their careers.

Of course, it is disappointing that Alexander-Arnold's announcement at Liverpool is so great, it is so big because of how high he is considered in his own home country. Since the first team debut nine years ago, the defender has redefined what it means to be a right-back at the elite level, making more than 350 appearances for the club and earning eight major honors. He has been a huge help in a series of famous wins, and he played a clever victory against Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semifinal, which is always in Liverpool folklore.

Alexander-Arnold got the mural in the mural on Sybil Street, just a stone's throw from Anfield after the Reds continued to lift the trophy in the same year. The well-crafted artwork depicts the defender's words: "I'm just a regular guy from Liverpool, and his dream came true."

For Alexander-Arnold, a new dream is now waiting for. For Liverpool, a new era must also begin. The club's hierarchy has been famous for several weeks - and may be suspected of longer - it must plan for future situations without a right back.

Sources told ESPN that Liverpool still has confidence that they have the necessary infrastructure to attract and retain the best talent in the world, a testament to the recent signing of new contracts by veteran superstars Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk. But replacing Alexander-Arnold's pedigree players is an ominous challenge.

While at Liverpool, he provided 64 Premier League assists - much more than any defender in game history - and usually the team's creativity under former boss Jurgen Klopp, who often moved him to the midfield. Now, new head coach Arne Slot chooses to replace this creativity by adding his midfield rankings, rather than seeking a similar replacement at right back.

In Conor Bradley, Liverpool certainly appears to be the ready-made successor to Alexander-Arnold. The 21-year-old has been impressed since breaking into the first team last season and has been brought to Kylian Mbappé & Co. Stay quiet and beat Real Madrid in November 2-0 to a brilliant representation for injured Alexander-Arnold.

However, since Bradley has only 27 top-tier games so far, it is wise for Liverpool to be inclined to compete with and complement the youngsters’ players.

Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong is considered a potential option, although he is more accustomed to playing the defender under Xabi Alonso, while Inter's Denzel Dumfries and Nottingham Forest's Ola Aina have also been linked.

While there is no doubt that there will be more and more transfer rumor factories in the coming weeks and months, Liverpool’s focus will now be on ending the first season of winning at the high. Images of Alexander-Arnold last weekend in the ecstasy of his team's latest championship victory prompted Sky Sports commentator Peter Drury to ask a question that many Liverpool supporters have been thinking for a while: "How can Trent consider leaving this?"

Although Alexander-Arnold's announcement may not provide a definite answer to his choice to do so, at least it brings some clarity to all parties. This is not a fairy tale ending that many fans hope for, but for the players and Liverpool, it could be the beginning of an exciting new chapter.