Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham have finally been united at club level. And it seems the erstwhile Liverpool vice-captain has learned a lesson from his friend.
For a while, Liverpool hoped that Alexander-Arnold would turn agent, convincing Bellingham to swap Borussia Dortmund for Anfield. But the midfielder picked Real Madrid, before ultimately turning the conversation on its head.
We may never know exactly how much sway Bellingham had on Alexander-Arnold's decision to leave his boyhood club. But it will be a galling sight to see them linking up at the Bernabeu, just two summers after there had been genuine hopes of seeing them together in red under Jurgen Klopp.
Of course, Liverpool will have precious few complaints about how that transfer window ultimately panned out. The club signed Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo instead, all of whom have gone on to play important roles in their own ways.
Indeed, this entirely refreshed midfield was able to get the better of Bellingham and Real Madrid in the season just gone. Arne Slot secured victory over the Spanish giant at the first time of asking, with Mac Allister on the score-sheet for good measure.
Yet despite this clear upward trajectory, Alexander-Arnold has decided that his future lies elsewhere. And while he is close to Bellingham, he has already done something a bit differently from his friend.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham of England look on as they inspect the pitch prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifier match between Andorra and England at RCDE Stadium on June 07, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham of England. (Image: Alex Caparros - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Liverpool fans were quick to notice that Alexander-Arnold produced some fluent Spanish at his unveiling. No doubt he had rehearsed a select few sentences, but it was nonetheless an impressive effort — one which hinted at the fact that perhaps his mind has been made up since before March.
In putting in the hours on Duolingo before even making the move, he showed he had learned a valuable lesson from Bellingham. While it never exactly harmed him on the pitch, the former Birmingham City man's integration was hampered for some time by language struggles.
"I know that I am letting [Carlo Ancelotti] down in one aspect," Bellingham admitted in December of 2023, some six months after making the move. "I still don't speak Spanish.
"Sorry, but I'm running into unexpected obstacles with this language. It's hard for me, I admit."
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He went on to pledge full commitment in his efforts to learn the language. And six months later, he impressed fans with an interview conducted in Spanish.
But Alexander-Arnold has given himself a headstart in a bid to ingratiate himself. That's a lesson he could well have learned from David Beckham and Gareth Bale, as well as Bellingham.
Beckham and Bale are both still remembered fondly at Real Madrid, but limited engagement with the media in Spanish made their lives harder than they might otherwise have been. Bale confessed that "you're going to get a lot of stick" if you don't play the game with the local media.
Bellingham has never had to face much stick, having impressed on the pitch from the outset — that, ultimately, is what matters the most. But there's every chance that Alexander-Arnold does not make quite such a fast start, and he may have earned himself a little patience by brushing up on his Spanish skills.