Real Madrid has confirmed the signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold as a free agent, ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.
In one of the worst-kept secrets in European football, Los Blancos have been working tirelessly to secure a deal with the England international since the end of 2024.
The final phase of negotiations proved complex for Real Madrid, with Alexander-Arnold confirming his departure from Anfield when his contract expired at the end of June. However, the Madrid club’s desire to have the player ready for the trip to the United States influenced the pace of discussions, and Arne Slot managed to secure a transfer fee for his departing defender.
Xabi Alonso was determined to have the Englishman available and training with the new team before heading to the U.S.
According to The Athletic, Liverpool will receive €10 million after agreeing to accelerate the transfer. Los Blancos were willing to pay €40 million to bring him in January, but both Liverpool and Alexander-Arnold preferred to focus on the Premier League title race.
Initially, talks to advance the deal started with an offer of around €1 million, but recent reports indicated that the figure rose to around €5 million.
Alexander-Arnold has become known for his choice to wear number 66 at Liverpool, a number he’s had since his time in the academy. However, a change is inevitable at Real Madrid, as La Liga regulations only allow numbers from 1 to 25.
Numbers 1, 13, and 23 are reserved for goalkeepers, so Alexander-Arnold will have to take the number of a departing player – with Kylian Mbappé expected to take Luka Modric’s number 10.
Lucas Vázquez and Jesús Vallejo will vacate numbers 17 and 18 respectively, but since Vázquez will be traveling to the Club World Cup, Alexander-Arnold is likely to begin his Los Blancos adventure with number 18.
