Real Madrid have reached an agreement with Liverpool to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of schedule in a deal worth £10 million, allowing the England right-back to join the Spanish giants before his contract expires on June 30.
The 26-year-old has signed a six-year contract at the Santiago Bernabéu, complete with a staggering €250 million (£210 million) release clause, underlining how highly Real Madrid rate the now-former Liverpool star. The move comes just in time for the Club World Cup, which kicks off on June 15—one of the key reasons Real were keen to accelerate the deal.
While Alexander-Arnold was set to join the La Liga club as a free agent on July 1, Real opted to fast-track the transfer by paying Liverpool a flat fee of €10 million (£8.4 million) plus covering his June wages—bringing the total value of the deal to around £10 million. That figure breaks down to a cost of over £300,000 per day just to have the defender join 29 days early.
Strategic Move for Club World Cup
Real Madrid’s urgency stems from their desire to include Alexander-Arnold in their squad for the upcoming Club World Cup. With a potential £100 million prize at stake for the winners, the Spanish side saw it as a worthwhile investment to strengthen their defensive line ahead of the tournament.
The negotiations took a sharp turn after Real initially offered just €1 million to get the player early—a figure Liverpool deemed unacceptable. Talks resumed in earnest, with the Premier League club eventually securing a significantly improved package.
Xabi Alonso’s Influence and Presentation Plans
Real Madrid’s new head coach Xabi Alonso, a former Liverpool midfielder, was reportedly instrumental in pushing the club to bring in Alexander-Arnold as early as possible. The England international will now link up with the national team ahead of their training camp in Spain but is expected to be unveiled at the Bernabéu in a grand ceremony following England’s June 10 match against Senegal.
This marks the end of an era for Alexander-Arnold at Anfield, where he developed into one of the world’s most dynamic right-backs, helping the Reds to Champions League and Premier League glory.
