Trent Alexander-Arnold is seemingly undergoing a rebrand after joining Real Madrid, where he was denied his preferred No. 66 jersey due to La Liga rules.
Alexander-Arnold is set to make his Madrid debut at the Club World Cup and will be officially unveiled by his new club on Thursday. While Liverpool fans were frustrated with Alexander-Arnold after he ran his contract down, the Reds did manage to earn $13.5 million from his departure, after Madrid paid to ensure he could be on the roster for the Club World Cup.
Since making his Liverpool debut on Oct. 25, 2016, the defender has worn 'Alexander-Arnold' on the back of his shirt with the No. 66. However, after it was made clear that Alexander-Arnold wouldn't be allowed to continue that tradition in Madrid, he's elected to change the name on the back of his jersey too.
According to several reports, Alexander-Arnold will wear the No. 12 jersey at Madrid, last worn by Eduardo Camavinga. While the French midfielder is still at the club, he switched to the No. 6 jersey at the start of last season, leaving No. 12 vacant ever since.
Alexander-Arnold is also set to drop his surname from the jersey, instead choosing to have 'Trent' displayed on the back. The defender has already adjusted his Instagram page, which was previously @TrentArnold66. It now shows as @Trent.
Madrid is set to officially confirm Alexander-Arnold's jersey name and number at his unveiling ceremony on Thursday. Alexander-Arnold could make his debut on June 18, when Madrid face Al-Hilal in their Club World Cup opener.
Alexander-Arnold could make his Madrid debut on June 18
Alexander-Arnold could make his Madrid debut on June 18 (Image: Getty Images)
The Premier League has no restrictions on jersey numbers, allowing players to wear No. 1-99. However, jersey rules depend entirely on the league, and La Liga has stricter regulations in place.
Players considered to be in the A-squad, also known as the first-team roster, must wear No. 1-25. In addition, goalkeepers are required to wear No. 1, 13, or 25 on their shirts.
Those considered to be from the reserve team must wear No. 26-50 when selected for the first team. La Liga rules are so strict that if a team retires a jersey number, only 24 players can be officially registered for the squad because one of the permitted jersey numbers is unavailable.
Alexander-Arnold may be preparing for a new life in Spain, but an uncomfortable international break with the England national team followed his controversial exit from Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold played for 26 minutes across both games against Andorra and Senegal, and was issued a reality check by head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Trent Alexander-Arnold played just 26 minutes over two games for England
Trent Alexander-Arnold played just 26 minutes over two games for England (Image: Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Tuchel is aware of Alexander-Arnold's talents and admitted that his coaching staff "desperately want to have him in the team." However, Tuchel said that he would only be considered in the future if he could regularly offer something unique to England.
"He gives us something unique and can make connections with teammates and boost chemistry, then we will try to use him," Tuchel told talkSPORT. "If he gives us something unique, then we will make sure that he has his place. But that applies to any player.
"If not, then we will always value the team more than individual quality. In the end, at international level, it's so important that we arrive with the right team and that everyone in the team knows before, first that we have to quality."