Trent Alexander-Arnold bombshell Liverpool announcement could hand Arsenal big advantage

Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed that he is leaving Liverpool when his contract expires this summer. The 26-year-old, who is expected to join Real Madrid as a free agent, has come to the conclusion that he would like a new challenge after two decades with his boyhood club.

Speaking in an emotional statement on social media, Alexander-Arnold said: "I think first and foremost, I want to say it's not an easy decision, and there's a lot of thought and feeling that has gone into it. I've been here 20 years now, loved every single minute of it, and achieved all my dreams, achieved everything I've ever wanted to here.

"Giving everything day in, day out for 20 years, I've got to a point now where I feel like I need a new change, a new challenge for me as a player and as a person. And I think now is the right time for me to do that."

During his time at Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold has made 351 appearances, scoring 23 goals and adding 91 assists. He has won several major honours, including the Premier League twice, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup twice and the Club World Cup on one occasion.

This season, Alexander-Arnold has not been as influential as he has in previous years. He has missed a number of matches due to injury and fitness issues, while Conor Bradley has been handed opportunities to impress on the right-hand side, as the Reds prepare for life without the England ace.

But Alexander-Arnold has still been an important figure in Liverpool's Premier League title success. He has three goals and seven assists in 31 top-flight games this term and has produced some memories to savour.

More recently, Alexander-Arnold scored the winner against Leicester to put the Reds on the brink of winning the title. He also found the net in a crucial 2-2 draw at Aston Villa in February and almost single-handedly, alongside Mohamed Salah, rescued Liverpool a point with two assists at Newcastle before Christmas.

He is going to be a major miss for Arne Slot's Liverpool next season and beyond, but how could his departure impact Arsenal? Well, the Gunners are no doubt going to have a better chance of challenging the Reds for the title.

While Liverpool are anticipated to replace Alexander-Arnold in the summer transfer window, there isn't many, if any, players out there who boast similar qualities to him. He is a one-of-a-kind in that sense, and Real Madrid are fortunate to be getting someone of his calibre and standard.

The amount of times he has provided the killer pass to unlock a defence or whip in a cross to create a chance has enabled Liverpool to pick up so many more points over the years - and the Reds are going to miss that.

Bradley has a lot of potential, but he is a different mould of right-back to Alexander-Arnold and doesn't boast that natural technical ability on the ball. That is not to say that Bradley is not capable of becoming Liverpool's starting right-back, but he doesn't give you that crossing and passing capacity that Alexander-Arnold does.

Depending on who Liverpool decide to bring in, they could lose around eight to ten points at least per-season from not having Alexander-Arnold among their ranks. Although that wouldn't knock the Reds off their perch this term, it's expected to have a bigger impact from next season, as they face a huge transition after losing a key cog.

Liverpool's whole attacking dimension will change and their threat from deeper areas will diminish. There is going to be a greater emphasis on the attacking midfielder and wide players, including those who have not produced the numbers they would have liked, including Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, to create on a more regular basis.

Salah is the exception, of course, having scored 28 goals and provided 18 assists in 35 Premier League matches, but even he could be impacted by Alexander-Arnold's departure. The Egyptian has played alongside the Englishman on the right side at Liverpool for the last eight years - and it could have a negative impact on his form.

Overall, Alexander-Arnold's exit from Liverpool is seen as a huge positive for Arsenal. If Mikel Arteta's side can be more consistent themselves, there is no reason to suggest why they can't win the Premier League next season.

Yes, Manchester City are expected to be stronger with Rodri returning and Pep Guardiola entering his final year in charge, but Liverpool might drop off, allowing Arsenal the chance to move closer to winning the title.