Trent Alexander-Arnold will link up with Real Madrid after the international break, but the former Liverpool star will face two compromises at his new club
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold will be faced with slightly different rules at Real Madrid
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Trent Alexander-Arnold may have sealed his transfer to Real Madrid, but he's set to face a couple of early dilemmas at his new club. The ex-Liverpool defender is due to join up with Xabi Alonso's squad following the international break.
The 26-year-old came on as a substitute in the second half as England managed a lacklustre 1-0 victory over Andorra on Saturday, inching closer to World Cup qualification. Given that Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones filled the right-back position, it's possible that Alexander-Arnold could step into the XI for England's friendly against Senegal on Tuesday.
It's shaping up to be a hectic summer for Alexander-Arnold, who was announced as a Real player a month early to participate in the forthcoming Club World Cup for Los Blancos. However, he'll soon encounter two new problems in Madrid: his preferred shirt number isn't available and he won't be able to drive his favourite car to training.
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Alexander-Arnold sported the No. 66 on the back of his shirt throughout his Liverpool career. As an academy graduate breaking into the first team, the full-back decided to keep his unconventional shirt number.
Even after clinching major titles with the Reds, his success in a Liverpool jersey didn't persuade him to switch to a more traditional number for a first team star. However, he won't be able to maintain this tradition in the Spanish capital.
La Liga rules stipulate that no first team player can wear a shirt number higher than No. 25, with only youth players permitted to have numbers above this. Last season, fellow defender Raul Asencio (No. 35) was one of the few exceptions.
Real Madrid's seasoned player Dani Carvajal currently holds the conventional No. 2 for a right-back. Alexander-Arnold's available options for next season include No. 12, No. 24 and No. 25, based on the current squad numbers.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Alexander-Arnold will be unable to wear No. 66 at Real Madrid(Image: Steven Halliwell | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The summer transfer market could further influence his choices, with Real also signing Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth. Luka Modric (No. 10), Lucas Vasquez (No. 17) and Jesus Vallejo (No. 18) are all due to reach the end of their contracts following this summer's Club World Cup.
Regardless of the number Alexander-Arnold selects, he will need to make another compromise in terms of his commute to training. While at Liverpool, the defender often drove to the club's AXA Training Centre in his Range Rover P530.
Although this car model is no longer on sale in the UK, the luxury SUV previously carried a price tag of £130,000. It features a 4.4 V8 twin-turbo engine with 530 horsepower and can hit a top speed of 155mph.
He won't, however, be able to flaunt his preferred vehicle to his new Real colleagues due to the club's commercial agreement with BMW. According to Spanish outlet El Motor, the sponsorship deal prohibits players from driving any other car brand to training.
The agreement involves electric and hybrid vehicles, which BMW later sells as pre-owned. The silver lining for Alexander-Arnold is that he can choose his new vehicle at no cost.
Both Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe have chosen the BMW XM, which typically retails for around £152k. On the other hand, Vinicius Junior opted for the slightly pricier BMW i7 M70 xDrive, usually sold for approximately £157k.
Alexander-Arnold was announced as a Real player earlier this month after the Spanish club agreed to a £10million deal with Liverpool, allowing the full-back to terminate his contract a month early. He was expected to leave as a free agent at the end of his Reds contract, but Real forked out £8.4m, plus an additional £1.6m to cover his remaining wages, to make him available for the Club World Cup.
Real are due to kick off their campaign against Al-Hilal on 18 June. The Spanish heavyweights also have group matches against Mexican team Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg. The tournament is set to run until 13 July.