Trent Alexander-Arnold signs for Real Madrid: Los Blancos confirm deal for star after Liverpool exit

Kyle Bonn

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Trent Alexander-Arnold signs for Real Madrid: Los Blancos confirm deal for star after Liverpool exit image

Having joined the Liverpool academy at six years old, Trent Alexander-Arnold is a Red through and through, but the England international's time at Anfield has come to an end.

The 26-year-old confirmed via a club statement on May 5 that he would be leaving Liverpool when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Real Madrid had long been linked with the player and, while Alexander-Arnold did not immediately state where he will be playing next, a deal was expected to be a formality. On May 30, Madrid confirmed that the right-back had signed a six-year deal.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold signs for Liverpool

It was confirmed by both clubs on May 30 that Alexander-Arnold was joining Real Madrid on a six-year contract.

According to reports including from Fabrizio Romano, Los Blancos agreed to pay a fee of €10 million (£8.4m/$11.3m) to sign the player now rather than wait until his contract expired. That means he is eligible to play for his new club at the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.

Liverpool had previously confirmed on May 5 that Alexander-Arnold would leave the club when his contract expired at the end of June.

"I think first and foremost, I want to say it's not an easy decision and there's a lot of thought and feeling that has gone into it," he said. "I've been here 20 years now, loved every single minute of it, achieved all my dreams, achieved everything I've ever wanted to here.

"Giving everything day in, day out for 20 years, I've got to a point now where I feel like I need a new change, a new challenge for me as a player and as a person. And I think now is the right time for me to do that."

The Athletic's David Ornstein reported on March 25 that Real Madrid were "working to close" a deal to sign Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer after weeks of speculation. A January 5th report from the Mirror indicated a formal contract offer had been made by Liverpool to their defensive star, which would have matched Madrid's salary offer of £300,000 ($373,00) per week, or £78m ($98m) annually, but the Spanish giants were said to be prepared to add on a huge signing-on fee, similar to the £125m ($155m) given to Kylian Mbappe last summer.

That said, it is unlikely that wages and bonuses were at the heart of Alexander-Arnold's decision. Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk both signed contract extensions with Liverpool after similarly fevered speculation, but Alexander-Arnold always seemed more likely to leave given his younger age and his desire to experience a new challenge. Madrid have been on the look-out for a long-term replacement for Dani Carvajal, who has missed almost all of the 2024/25 season with a serious knee injury, and Alexander-Arnold will know he will almost certainly be first choice if he moves to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Alexander-Arnold's friendship with Madrid star Jude Bellingham is another reason why it was expected that he would move to Los Blancos if he left Liverpool.

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Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.