Fans think they have spotted the ‘real reason’ Trent Alexander-Arnold raised his hand to his ear and mimicked a talking gesture when he scored Liverpool’s fourth goal in the 5-0 away win against West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Alexander-Arnold, 26, delivered a standout performance, assisting Cody Gakpo’s goal in the 40th minute and also scoring himself.
While his performance was impressive, fans speculated about the meaning behind his unusual celebration. They pointed out how his “talking” gesture during the celebration closely resembled Jude Bellingham’s celebration after scoring in England’s 1-0 win over Serbia in the Euro 2024 group stage. In that match, Bellingham, 21, made a similar “talking” gesture after heading in Bukayo Saka’s cross.
Both Alexander-Arnold and Bellingham are close friends and often seen together, so their celebrations might be purely coincidental. However, social media users quickly linked the similarity to rumors suggesting Real Madrid could be pursuing a move for the Liverpool player.
One person commented, “Same celebration, different meaning.” Another remarked, “His heart doesn’t belong to Liverpool anymore.” A third user said, “Honestly, I don’t care. I’d love for him to stay, but if not, we move on. No player is bigger than LFC, especially with where we are as a club right now. It’d be foolish to leave.”
A fourth user argued, “Stop with this nonsense, you could probably find a dozen other players, past and present, who’ve done this celebration. We all know what it’s really about.”
A fifth person pointed out, “Bellingham isn’t the only player who does that celebration.”
Another suggested, “Trent has always shown his feelings through his celebrations. He’s probably referring to a contract, either with Liverpool or Madrid.”
The Liverpool academy graduate’s contract expires at the end of the season, allowing him to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club when the transfer window opens on January 1, 2025. On Saturday, Spanish publication Marca even reported that he has ‘made a final decision’ regarding his future, claiming Alexander-Arnold has been given an insider’s view of life at Madrid by Bellingham.
