Liverpool fans believe Trent Alexander-Arnold dangled the dream of him staying before their very eyes with a subtle gesture after the 1-0 win at Leicester City.
Alexander-Arnold scored the only goal of the game and celebrated lavishly with his top off to a riotous away end on Easter Sunday.
To many, the raw emotion of his celebration, including a fierce look in his eyes, gave mixed signals about his ongoing contract saga and interest from Real Madrid.
Was this the celebration of a man who knows his days in red are numbered? Or the celebration of a man who knows a piece of good news that fans don’t?
Whatever your thoughts, another gesture has sent fans into overdrive. A clip is doing the rounds on social media of Alexander-Arnold tapping the badge on his shirt while similing at the supporters at full time – something viewers are holding to as a sign of hope.
‘Badge taps are NOT ACCIDENTAL,’ wrote one fan on X.
Liverpool fans are excited that Trent Alexander-Arnold tapped his badge and smiled on Sunday
His ravenous celebration after scoring against Leicestr had already caused much conversation
Fans couldn’t work out if he was celebrating so much because he was leaving or staying
‘Damnnnn he fully taps it as well. Nah I need him to stay,’ said one.
‘Bit weird to do that if he knows he’s leaving tbh,’ another said.
‘Trent Alexander Arnold I don’t like mixed signals don’t do this to me,’ added one, with crying face and broken heart emojis.
‘What type of mixed signals are these man?’ another asked.
As expected, Alexander-Arnold has been coy on his future and that was no different when he was asked about it live on Sky Sports on Sunday.
‘Look, I’ve said all season that I’m not going to speak on my situation,’ he said.
‘I’m not going to go into any details but days like today are very special.
‘Scoring goals, playing, winning games, being in title races, they are special moments that will live with me forever and I’m glad to be a part of them.’
Fans took the getsure as encouragement, though some felt he was sending mixed signals
Alexander-Arnold made his return to the Liverpool squad for the first time in five weeks after sustaining an ankle injury in the Reds’ Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool fans were quick to speculate on the meaning of the defender’s wild celebration, with many taking encouragement from the passionate display. One fan wrote on X: ‘He’s staying surely. That celebration was something else’.
Meanwhile, another wrote: ‘That is some reaction/celebration from Trent after scoring?!?’.
Another fan commented on the passion that Alexander-Arnold showed towards the club’s fans.
They wrote: ‘He showed way too much passion towards the Liverpool fans for someone who wants to leave.. he is staying’.
Another fan simply wrote: ‘HE CAN’T LEAVE US AFTER THIS CELEBRATION’. One stated: ‘He’s staying isn’t he no other option after that cele’.
But Arne Slot felt the focus had to be shifted onto his stunning goal rather than any tendrils of conversation around his contract.
‘The headline should be about the goal he scored and not his contract,’ said Slot.
‘What I can say is that would be ridiculous if someone argues about his commitment for this club – because the workrate he has put in to get back fit and all the work he’s done for his club in all these years that he’s here, no-one should, in my opinion, argue about his commitment to this club.
‘Let the headlines be about his great goal and not his contract situation.’
