Andrea Berta Arsenal priority is now crystal clear after Trent Alexander-Arnold Liverpool exit

Trent Alexander-Arnold will not be playing his football at Anfield next season after the defender confirmed he will leave Liverpool upon the expiry of his contract.

Amid strong rumours linking the right-back with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, Alexander-Arnold admitted he felt it was time for a fresh challenge after spending 20 years at his boyhood club. "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," the 26-year-old told Liverpool's official website.

"I’ve been here 20 years now, loved every single minute of it, 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.”

Alexander-Arnold leaving is a huge blow for Liverpool, especially given the Reds are not receiving a fee for their prized asset. The England international is valued at €75million (£64million) on Transfermarkt but it's clear the defender is worth much more than that.

Arsenal may learn a thing or two about this situation. No club wants to see their star players leave for free. It's a bad business model, especially if a player is worth tens of millions of pounds.

Andrea Berta, Arsenal's new sporting director, and Mikel Arteta will be keen to extend the contracts of a few Gunners players in the coming months to avoid a similar Alexander-Arnold situation at Emirates Stadium. The likes of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes see their contracts expire in 2027.

That means, come this summer, the three players will have just two years left on their deals. football.london understands contract talks are high on Berta's agenda this summer, with the club confident of securing new contracts for Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, too.

"It's going to be a big one [summer] and we are very excited about it," Arteta said earlier this season. "When you are going to go again, we want to increase the depth of the squad and the quality and the skills that we need to go to the next step.

"Every summer is big because it is an opportunity and especially because of the number of players we have in the squad right now that is necessary. But it's a big summer for many things because first of all we have to maintain the good foundations that we have and then obviously how can we improve and evolve the team."

Saliba has been linked with a move to Real Madrid for some time, while Gabriel has previously been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia. There's no indication at present that they are pushing for a move, while Saka hinted last month that he sees his long-term future in north London.

"I want to win and I want to win wearing this badge," Saka said ahead of the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid. "It is pretty clear, the fans know how much I love them.

"You saw when I came on on Tuesday, they love me back. So it is a good relationship. I am really happy to be hear and I am focused on winning.

"I don’t think anyone is really in a rush. I have got two years left on my contract so it’s pretty relaxed. Everyone knows my thoughts and I’ve let you guys know as well, so I don’t think there is much else really."

Berta and Arteta will not want to take anything for granted. Securing the long-term futures of Saka, Saliba and Gabriel should be a priority and Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool for nothing has proven that.

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