Jamie Carragher believes Trent Alexander-Arnold or his representatives encouraged Real Madrid to bid for him last week.
Madrid tabled a £20m offer last week to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu immediately rather than wait until the summer for his contract to expire, but the Reds rejected it.
And Carragher says there is no way Los Blancos would have submitted an offer unless they had some form of assurance that the star would be interested in joining.
He was speaking after Liverpool's 2-2 draw against Manchester United, a match in which the right-back was criticized for his performance, and manager Arne Slot was forced to deny suggestions that he had been distracted by Madrid's advance. .
“They are bullies, Real Madrid. My problem with this is that they have bid behind the back of Trent Alexander-Arnold or his agent saying 'make an offer'. Because they wouldn't make an offer, they wouldn't do it unless they have the clearance,” Carragher told the Gary Neville Podcast.
“But all those parties know that Liverpool are going to reject that anyway, so what are you trying to create? What noise are you (trying to make)? Liverpool are not going to sell Trent in January in search of a league title.
Trent Alexander-Arnold or his team must have told Real Madrid to bid, says Jamie Carragher
Madrid saw a £20million bid for the star whose contract expires this summer rejected last week.
Madrid would not have presented its candidacy without being sure that the star wanted to join, says Carragher
'What I'm saying is let's not be naive. No one makes offers now unless they have already spoken to the player about it. If they accept it, would you come? People know this before they make offers.
'And obviously there have been conversations. I have no problem with that, that's the nature of the game. Trent's contractual situation, I'm sure he's in talks with Real Madrid and maybe other players and he has to make a decision.
“I think the fact that that came out when it did, I wasn't happy at all. For me, we're probably not the best people to talk about this because we've never been involved in a transfer and we're probably two of the most important members of the club who always put the club first.
“But I think that, in the situation that Liverpool are in, there is no way that an agent or Trent Alexander-Arnold does not know that the offer is going to be presented before it is presented. And if you don't want that to be done, you say No.'
Alexander-Arnold was heavily criticized for his performance against United, with Roy Keane criticizing him for defending like a “schoolboy” and joking that he would be better off joining Tranmere Rovers. The defender gave the ball away before Lisandro Martinex's first goal.
Coach Slot said that the point was to defend against Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, not to be distracted by Madrid's proposals.
Gary Neville was not sure whether the player or his team had told Madrid to submit an offer, but called the offer “insulting” and claimed that Alexander-Arnold would be naive if he expected to leave mid-season.
“Offering £20m for him is a risky bet. I'll be honest with you, it's an insult. “There is a certain respect that should exist between the big clubs,” he said.
Arne Slot defends his star after a difficult match and says the offer did not distract him
Carlo Ancelotti would prefer to sign the defender now than in the summer due to the injury crisis
Gary Neville said the £20m offer was “insulting” and could damage relations between the clubs.
“When you offer 20 million pounds for that player, you know that a club like Liverpool will not accept that offer. So, in a way, you are almost insulting them.
—It is very important to say that Trent Alexander-Arnold or his people have told Madrid to present an offer.
“From Trent Alexander-Arnold's perspective, he would be completely naive if he thought Liverpool were going to let him go mid-season because the message it would send to everyone would be wrong.”
Alexander-Arnold joined Liverpool at the age of six and has achieved all the top honors in the shirt, rising to the vice-captaincy behind Virgil van Dijk.
Carragher says he wouldn't mind if the 26-year-old wanted to go and experience life in a different country and with another footballing superpower.
However, he revealed his only “disappointment” with the star.
“When I look at Trent, the way he dresses, the places he goes on holiday, he has that David Beckham feeling about him, he does,” he said.
“There's a bit of criticism that he could go for free; I can tell you that doesn't bother me because he came for free.” That's like us selling Van Dijk for £75m; That doesn't worry me too much. And you know what, it's his life, if he wants to go to Madrid.
Carragher understands why Alexander-Arnold would want a different experience abroad, but says he could build a great legacy as a local hero by staying at Anfield.
“My only disappointment is that, as a local player and Liverpool supporter, you are now in a position to play for a team that could equal Manchester United for league titles.
“You could be the guy who lifts a Premier League title in two or three years when Virgil van Dijk moves on. You could be the guy who wins us two more European Cups.
“So the feeling among Liverpool fans is that there can't be anything better at the moment at Liverpool in terms of top of the table, top of the Champions League. If you're a fan, all the fans think: “You are me in the field.”
'That's how I felt. When he was on the field he embodied what the fans in the stands were like. So the frustration is that this can't get better.
“The feeling in Liverpool is: why can a local player who loves this club as a fan, can help this club go to another level successfully, can be captain of the club, will receive big money and good luck for him? Why? Do you want to leave?
“That's where my frustration comes from as a local player. “In your position, I wouldn't want to go anywhere else.”