Real Madrid have reached a deal with Liverpool to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold before his contract expires, with the Spanish giants hoping to win the Club World Cup
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Trent Alexander-Arnold has left Liverpool for Real Madrid
Trent Alexander-Arnold will reportedly earn a major bonus if he helps Real Madrid win the Club World Cup after they paid Liverpool an eight-figure fee to sign the defender before the tournament gets underway next month.
Alexander-Arnold was set to join Madrid on a free transfer when his Liverpool deal expired on June 30, but it was announced on Friday that they have agreed to pay the Reds a total of £10million to sign him a month early.
Madrid are paying an £8.4m fee and his remaining wages in order to have Alexander-Arnold available for the entirety of the Club World Cup. And according to a report from Spanish outlet AS, Madrid view the Club World Cup as the 'most important' competition of the season.
It is claimed Madrid are desperate to win the first edition of the newly revamped tournament, having been the inaugural winners of the European Cup in 1956 and the Intercontinental Cup in 1960.
As a result, the report claims that Madrid are set to pay each player a bonus of around €1m (£843,000) if they lift the trophy on July 13. The tournament will also mark the start of the Xabi Alonso era after he replaced Carlo Ancelotti in the dugout.
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Alonso, who spent five seasons at the club as a player, has signed a three-year deal to replace Ancelotti after an impressive stint in charge of Bayer Leverkusen that saw him guide them to their first Bundesliga title.
And Alonso is hoping his time in charge will get off to a perfect start by winning the Club World Cup. "That's the way circumstance had it. Once that happens I see it as an opportunity for two reasons," Alonso said at his official unveiling earlier this month.
"One, because it means that we can accelerate processes, get to know each other sooner, see things that we want to be. Then it's a chance to fight for another trophy. It's the first Club World Cup and the ambition is complete.
"If we can bring together those two things then it can be a very good start, and as of today that is what I have in mind. We can do nice things, that ignite people. That's what we have come for."
Xabi Alonso in a press conference
Xabi Alonso is Madrid's new manager(Image: Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)
Alonso also paid tribute to his predecessor Ancelotti, having been managed by the Italian during spells at both Madrid and Bayern Munich. "The cycle has come to an end under Ancelotti, who was my coach," he added.
"He left a mark on me and has been a huge influence. I wouldn't be here without all I learned from him. I'm honoured to take over from him and proud to be in a place where he achieved so much. I hope I can live up to the expectations.
"We're starting out on a new era and I feel like we have a fantastic team. That's what fills me with the energy to come here, to try and get the best out of every single player as we build a great team. We can achieve big things worthy of Real Madrid and all they have won in the past."
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