Trent Alexander-Arnold appeared to rubbish recent stories that suggested he had told Liverpool of his desire to join Real Madrid in the summer when he celebrated his goal against West Ham United on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds ran out 5-0 winners against the Hammers and are currently eight points ahead of second-placed Nottingham Forest and nine points in front of third-placed Arsenal.
Mohamed Salah put in a record-breaking display, while Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz also found the back of the net.
Despite their exceptional form, Liverpool could face the prospect of losing Virgil van Dijk, Salah and Alexander-Arnold for free at the end of the season, and fans have become increasingly concerned at the prospect of losing Trent after reports emerged from Spain suggesting the defender has agreed to join Real Madrid.
However, the Reds' vice-captain celebrated his goal against West Ham by bringing his hand toward his ear and miming a talking gesture, perhaps indicating that reports about him joining Real Madrid were premature.
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The case for Trent Alexander-Arnold to extend his contract
Arne Slot's side have not quite had a perfect campaign given they have failed to win five of their 27 games this season, but few could have predicted that the transition from Jurgen Klopp to Slot would have been so smooth.
If Trent was to leave the club, his departure would somewhat sour the 2024-25 campaign, but if the Scouser's ultimate ambition is to win the biggest honours, then there is little reason to leave Merseyside.
Liverpool are first in the Premier League, first in the Champions League and look like the only team capable of capitalising on the weaknesses of Manchester City this term.
The Reds' tally of 45 goals scored is the Premier League's best return, while their eight clean sheets is also the league's joint best record.
Additionally, the 26-year-old could be given the captain's armband at some point over the course of his next contract given captain Van Dijk is entering his mid-thirties, and he may be able to follow in the footsteps of legendary Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard.
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What if Trent Alexander-Arnold left to join Real Madrid?
Alexander-Arnold has previously expressed his desire to win the Ballon d'Or, and even ranked winning the award as a more important career goal than winning the Premier League or Champions League again.
Considering the dominance that La Liga has held over the award in the past decades - winning 11 of the last 15 on offer - a move to Spain could help enhance his reputation as one of the world's best players.
However, Trent must consider that it would undoubtedly be difficult to beat the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior to the Ballon d'Or.
Perhaps the best way for the right-back to stand out from the crowd would be by rejecting a move to Los Blancos and instead taking the Reds to Premier League and Champions League glory over the next few seasons.
Lewis Nolan
