After leaving Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold will team up with Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid.
Jude Bellingham and Real Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrate during Euro 2024 for England.
Jude Bellingham and Real Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrate during Euro 2024 for England.
(Image: Matt McNulty - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
First England, now Real Madrid teammates - Trent Alexander-Arnold has officially reunited with good friend Jude Bellingham. It now seems eons ago, but there was once a time it was perhaps possible the duo would have been playing their football for Liverpool instead.
Rewinding to the 2022/2023 campaign, Liverpool's midfield were on their last legs and as the up-and-coming talent of both Borussia Dortmund and his national team, at the time, Bellingham was hotly linked with a stunning move as his friendship blossomed with a certain full-back at the last FIFA World Cup.
In the end, the Reds pivoted due to the scale of the rebuild they required and the sizeable £100million portion it would take to land the Englishman. Now the ultimate mockery of those three-year-old theories has been sealed, with Alexander-Arnold moving to Real Madrid for £10m, a month before his contract was due to expire.
READ MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold makes brutal change moments after Liverpool to Real Madrid transfer
Real are evidently pleased with their catch, and the prospect of their Three Lions duo linking up. They made a post to Instagram showcasing an old handshake celebration between the two players.
Alexander-Arnold, in no time at all interacting with his new employers, liked and commented the hand shake emoji in response. Bellingham, who has now been a Madrid player for the past two years, also liked the post.
Saying goodbye to his boyhood club for the allure of the Spanish capital, Alexander-Arnold penned in his farewell message: "To get the reception I got means more than anything to me. I've played hundreds of games for the club, but I've never felt so loved and cared for than today.
Trent Alexander-Arnold replies to Real Madrid's post about Jude Bellingham and himself.
Trent Alexander-Arnold replies to Real Madrid's post about Jude Bellingham and himself.
"From the bottom of my heart, I hope that the fans and supporters of this club will be able to recognise the hard work and everything I did for the team.
"There wasn't a day, minute or second I didn't think about the team. From six years old, to now... 20 years is a very long time but I've loved every minute - the ups and the downs.
"Coming through the academy, making it into the first team, being part of that properly, it has been a real honour and a privilege."
The 26-year-old, who was in tears on the Anfield pitch, added: "It's not sunk in [I'm leaving], it's all I've ever known. At times you catch yourself thinking you'll be back next season, but then you remember it's not the case, because things are changing.
"I'll remember these moments for the rest of my life, especially today. It's been the best day of my life, a very, very special day and a very special achievement for the team and the club."