After 21 years at Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold's time at the club is set to come to an end this summer. The Englishman joined the cup at the age of 6 and, after progressing through the youth ranks, made his debut 12 years later in 2016.
Alexander-Arnold quickly established himself as a key player and has been integral to the club's success over the years. However, with his contract set to expire in the summer, fans were growing more and more concerned that one of their own would choose to leave the club for pastures new.
And their worst fears have now been realised with Alexander-Arnold set to join Real Madrid when his contract expires this summer. According toTBRFootball, Liverpool offered to make the 26-year-old the highest-paid English player in the Premier League but he refused and will now depart for Los Blancos on a free transfer.
Barcelona Held Talks With Trent Alexander-Arnold
But they decided against pursuing him
Trent Alexander-Arnold-1
As one of the best right-backs in world football, it's not surprising that Real Madrid were not the only club interested in signing Alexander-Anolrd this summer. Their fierce rivals Barcelona were also keeping tabs on the 26-year-old and held talks with his representatives a few months ago, according to Spanish outlet Cadena SER per the Mirror.
Deco, Barcelona's sporting director, is said to have organised a meeting to gauge the likelihood of a deal. However, after the private talks, Barcelona decided against pursuing a move for two reasons.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's statistics for Liverpool
Barcelona chiefs ultimately deemed that a move for the Liverpool right-back would not be possible due to the club's financial troubles. While they would not have had to pay a fee for the Englishman, his wage demands and signing-on bonus would've made it a costly deal for the Catalan giants.
Furthermore, the performances of Jules Kounde, who is naturally a centre-back but has filled in at right-back this season, also contributed to them dropping their interest. It is still believed a right-back is on their wishlist this summer but they will target cheaper alternatives, with Rayo Vallecano's Andrei Ratiu and Monaco's Vanderson among the players linked.
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With Barcelona no longer in the frame, that paved the way for Real Madrid to complete a move for Alexander-Arnold. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Fabrizio Romano revealed that the contract is not yet signed but it's only a matter of time until it is completed. He is expected to pen a five-year contract and the salary will not be anywhere near those of superstars like Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr or Kylian Mbappe.