Liverpool have confirmed talented defender Trent Alexander-Arnold will join Real Madrid on 1 June.
It has been widely reported that the Premier League champions have received £10 million from the Spanish giants. This will allow the boyhood Liverpool fan to play at this summer’s Club World Cup.
Had he moved to Madrid for free, then he would have missed all of their group games.
That money is broken down in the following way. Madrid will make a single payment of €10m (£8.4m) and pay his salary for June. These payments in total add up to £10m.
Los Blancos had originally offered just €1m to get the right back before his contract expires at Liverpool on June 30.
Alexander-Arnold has signed a massive six-year deal in the Spanish capital. He and his new club will be hoping he can make an instant impact at the Club World Cup.
Alexander-Arnold’s time at Anfield was hugely successful. He won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two Carabao Cups.
The right-back had already announced that he would be leaving this summer once his contract expired. The news was mixed amongst LIverpool fans to say the least.
Many thanked him for his service at the club, while some online stooped to derogatory insults. There were even boos at Anfield which were condemned.
In fact, it took former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to call out the bad treatment of Alexander-Arnold for it to relent. Thankfully, by the time the English champions received the Premier League trophy, the native Scouser was hearing cheers rather than boos.
Reds confirm Trent Alexander-Arnold departure
Confirming Alexander-Arnold’s departure in a statement. Liverpool said:
“Alexander-Arnold joined the club’s academy at the age of six and progressed through the ranks to make his senior competitive debut in October 2016.
“He now departs Anfield after 354 appearances and 23 goals for the club. As well as lifting eight major honours alongside his team-mates, which consist of two Premier League titles, the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup and two League Cups.
“Alexander-Arnold leaves Liverpool FC with the club appreciative and grateful for his contribution to those successes.”
New beginnings for both clubs
Real Madrid will be hoping the Club World Cup can be the springboard for success in the upcoming 2025-2026 season. The Whites finished behind arch-rivals and league winners Barcelona. They also fell short in their quest for another Champions League title. Two poor performances saw them knocked out by Arsenal in the last eight.
Liverpool on the other hand are now preparing for life without Trent. They must recruit well for Alexander-Arnold’s replacement this summer if they’re to stand any chance of defending their title.