‘He’s going to Tranmere’ – Roy Keane delivers brutal Trent Alexander-Arnold put down

Roy Keane made a brutal jibe at Trent Alexander-Arnold after his disappointing performance for Liverpool against Manchester United.

The United legend suggested the Liverpool full-back was more suited to Tranmere Rovers than Real Madrid as he struggled in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Anfield.

Alexander-Arnold was caught out twice in the opening period to prompt Keane's withering put down.

Both of United's best chances came down Alexander-Arnold's channel - with the England international first caught out for being too square for a through ball to Diogo Dalot.

But Amad Diallo somehow headed the ball behind him after being picked out by the Portuguese full-back.

The Liverpool academy graduate was then ball-watching after Lautaro Martinez clipped a pass over the top for Rasmus Hojlund to run onto.

Just like Diallo, Hojlund fluffed his lines, as goalkeeper Alisson raced off his line to deny the Danish striker from opening the scoring.

With just six months left on his deal in Merseyside, Alexander-Arnold has been heavily linked with a move away - notably to Real Madrid.

However, Keane has joked that should he continue to defend as he did in the first half, he could be better suited to League Two outfit Tranmere instead.

Speaking in his half-time analysis, the Sky Sports pundit said: "We talk about how brilliant Trent is going forward.

"But Trent's defending today, my goodness, it was like schoolboy stuff.

"They're talking about him going to Real Madrid, the way he's defending, he's going to Tranmere Rovers after this. He's got to do better."

Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge was unable to contain his emotions following Keane's statement, who simply buried his head in his hands.

Pressed for his opinion on Keane's brutal assessment, Sturridge simply stated: "No words."

Keane then quipped: "He doesn't have to move house then, does he?"

He then added: "But he's got to do better defensively, he's got to do better."

League Two Tranmere responded to Keane's jibe on social media, posting a picture of their right-back Cameron Norman on X under the message: "Trent to Tranmere Roy? Nah, we're alright thanks."

Alexander-Arnold was substituted in the closing stages of the game as he failed to improve in the second half.

It has prompted concerns over whether the interest from Real Madrid - who tabled a bid last week - has turned his head as he enters the final six months of his contract at Liverpool.

"I think the bid from Real Madrid is bad timing for him," Gary Neville said after the entertaining clash at Anfield.

"I don't know what's going to happen, whether he's going to leave Liverpool and go to Real Madrid or whether he's not, but if you've got that going into a big game, you're a local lad as well, that won't be easy, the distractions of having all that noise.

"Real Madrid are a hell of an animal. I thought it was insulting, to be fair, from Real Madrid. They behave like that sometimes, they think they can get what they want.

"Liverpool are a football club of immense stature. They're never going to sell Trent Alexander-Arnold for 20 million quid in January so you're taking the mickey a little bit.

"I think that will have probably unnerved him this week."

Meanwhile, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said: "I thought he was really poor. The game couldn't have gone much worse for him, there was always going to be focus on him.

"I was expecting him to put in a performance he has put in so often where he dominates the game from right-back. He's a playmaker. I felt Manchester United's system would play into his hands, there'd be a lot of space to get his head up and put crosses in.

"I thought he'd be thinking about how everyone's talking about him negatively, and that he'd put in a really big performance. He was poor defensively, but there was nothing going forward on the ball.

"Only he knows if the talk affected him, but the fact he was so poor in the first game after Real Madrid put a bid in tells me it must have affected him."