And so the fight for Trent Alexander-Arnold has begun in earnest. As the first day of the New Year approaches, with the prospect of one of the game's best players about to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club, it was always going to be this way.
It is a cultural war and a propaganda war. It is a battle to avoid blame. It is a fight to preserve loyalties and reaffirm tribal loyalties while exercising the right to freedom of movement and accepting a new challenge. That is often the way the modern transfer saga plays out.
Whatever has been happening behind the scenes, as Alexander-Arnold's contract nears its conclusion at Liverpool, it is his suitors at Real Madrid who have blown cover and fired the first salvo.
The front page of Spanish sports newspaper Marca yesterday morning claiming that Alexander-Arnold, 26, had told Liverpool that he wanted to move to the Bernabeu next summer must be treated with a healthy degree of cynicism.
Marca is widely seen as a spokesperson for Real Madrid and a tool for the club in its transfer negotiations. His claims were met with denials that Alexander-Arnold had told Liverpool such a thing.
But the story was an indication, at least, that Madrid's long-rumored interest in Liverpool's talented right-back is real and that the Premier League leaders will have to fight fiercely to retain him.
Real Madrid increase interest in Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold
Despite his ability, Alexander-Arnold could be more appreciated if he moves to Spain.
Here's something else worth mentioning, something every Liverpool fan and every neutral who loves the game also knows: Alexander-Arnold's signature is worth fighting for. He's the kind of player that's worth the entry fee alone.
He is probably the best passer in the English game. His crossing is on par with the way David Beckham used to shoot from outside. His vision, his reading of the game and the movement of those around him, is impressive.
He's a constant among the Premier League's five biggest crowd-pleasers, players who see things others can't. He is in that company with Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and James Maddison.
It is partly for that reason that I expect Alexander-Arnold to sign a new contract at Liverpool, remain at the club for the rest of his career, take over the captaincy whenever Virgil van Dijk leaves and cement his status as one of the club legends. .
It is a privilege to see him play in this country and if he goes to La Liga, he will strengthen Spanish football and weaken English football. He is a rare talent and the Premier League would be worse without him.
But I do not agree with those who maintain that if he goes to Madrid he will disappear in the shadow of Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr and Alexander-Arnold's friend, Jude Bellingham. I do not agree with the idea that his talent is hidden in Spain.
Because, and this is not Liverpool's fault, the truth is that Alexander-Arnold has never been fully appreciated in English football. He has been a victim of our provincialism and incurable football puritanism.
It is an inescapable fact that English football fans talk far more about Alexander-Arnold's supposed vulnerabilities as a defender than they do about the reality that he is one of the world's best creative talents.
Alexander-Arnold, a superb passer, should be a key player for England over the next ten years.
The Liverpool player would be the perfect replacement for Dani Carvajal at Real Madrid
In English football, we don't forgive losing a man from time to time or occasionally being caught out of position because you've committed to creating a goal for a team-mate at the other end of the pitch.
Alexander-Arnold and Palmer, along with Bellingham, should be the heart of every England team for the next ten years. However, the majority of England fans remain strangely lukewarm in their attitude towards Liverpool's most impressive right-back.
THAT is after you have already won everything there is to win in the club game. It is after having provided iconic moments such as the trick corner that surprised Barcelona at Anfield in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final and capped the greatest comeback in European Cup history.
Liverpool fans may appreciate it, but English football in general does not. Perhaps that has something to do with a deep-rooted snobbery towards Liverpool. Perhaps that is also the reason why Mo Salah is constantly overlooked at the awards, despite the astonishing numbers he achieves in Liverpool.
Also forget suggestions that Alexander-Arnold can only become a Liverpool legend if he remains at the club this summer. After everything he has achieved at the club, all the trophies he has won, he is already a Liverpool legend. Or it should be. That status should be untouchable.
Once again I hope he stays at Liverpool. But the fear that remains is that he will only get the recognition his talent deserves if he distances himself from a football culture that can't help but put him in a defender's straitjacket.
A move to Madrid would not diminish him. It would make him the superstar he should be here. Dani Carvajal, Madrid's current right back, has a serious knee injury and will also turn 33 in a couple of weeks. Alexander-Arnold would be the perfect replacement.
Until his future is resolved, it is best to value the talent among us. Dismiss the frothy voices that reacted to Marca demanding that Alexander-Arnold be fired immediately. That would be crazy.
More attention has been paid to Alexander-Arnold's supposed defensive vulnerabilities than his qualities.
The only thing that matters for now is that Alexander-Arnold is part of a Liverpool team that, with each passing week, appears to be the best team in the Premier League and the most exciting team to watch.
With Manchester City looking like a spent force, Arsenal fearing the impact of losing Saka and Chelsea looking a year away from mounting a sustained challenge, Alexander-Arnold looks increasingly likely to claim a second UEFA Cup winners' medal. Premier League to his record. collection.
If he stays at Liverpool beyond that, English football will be better. If you go to the Bernabeu, it may be worth reflecting that many did not appreciate his talent until it was too late.