Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to join Real Madrid as a free agent after announcing he will leave Liverpool when his contract expires this summer.
A deal for the England international, 26, to join the Spanish side has entered its final stages and is on course to be signed in the coming weeks. Sources in Spain — speaking anonymously to protect relationships — suggest a proposed six-year agreement is in the process of being completed.
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The player’s contract with Liverpool expires at the end of June, and Madrid are in action in the revamped Club World Cup in the United States before then. The competition kicks off on June 14 and Madrid’s first match is against Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal on June 18 in Miami.
Will Alexander-Arnold be wearing the white of Madrid by then? What needs to happen for him to make the move early? And how much do Madrid need him in the States?
Mario Cortegana and James Pearce explain the state of play…
What’s the view from Real Madrid?
Madrid want Alexander-Arnold to play for them at the Club World Cup. Club sources, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, believe that an agreement can be reached between two clubs who have great respect for each other. They expect it would take a nominal fee for Liverpool to allow the player to end his contract early and be available for the tournament.
On a football level, how much do they need him at the Club World Cup?
A lot.
The team lost their first-choice right-back, Dani Carvajal, to a serious knee injury (torn anterior cruciate ligament, ACL) in October and since then have suffered in that position. Lucas Vazquez has been outclassed in several demanding games, prompting coach Carlo Ancelotti to move Federico Valverde, his most important midfielder, to right-back.
The 33-year-old Carvajal is confident of being fit for the Club World Cup but he has missed seven months of competitive football. He may take time to return to his best, as Madrid have seen with other players who have experienced the same injury in recent years.
The centre-back Eder Militao suffered an ACL injury last season and returned in March 2024 far from his best. He had two muscle problems in September and October 2024 and suffered another ACL injury in November. He is yet to return to first-team action.
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David Alaba, another defender, was sidelined for 13 months with an ACL injury and, after returning in January 2025, he suffered another muscle injury in February and had to undergo knee surgery again last week. The Austria international could be fit in time for the Club World Cup.
On a purely footballing level, Madrid have had a lot of problems when it comes to playmaking, something that Alexander-Arnold’s qualities would alleviate. They would also benefit from his set-piece prowess.
Madrid would not be trying to get Alexander-Arnold to join early unless they were sure he wanted to play a role for them at the tournament.
And fatigue should not be an issue either. Alexander-Arnold helped Liverpool win the Premier League under Arne Slot but he missed a chunk of games across March and April while on the sidelines for six weeks with an ankle injury.
The question is: would Alexander-Arnold be able to hit the ground running in the Madrid first team?
Why else would Madrid want him to join early and be at the Club World Cup?
As well as his quality, age and beneficial contract situation at Anfield, Madrid have always been attracted to signing Alexander-Arnold because of the positive impact he will have on the club’s brand.
Signing a world-class talent is always a big moment, but particularly when they are joining from a club as prestigious as Liverpool and have been a dominant player in the best league in the world for many years. Alexander-Arnold arriving at Madrid would be considered a massive move.
Alexander-Arnold with Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, his international team-mate (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
The Madrid president Florentino Perez and his closest advisers are very interested in the Club World Cup because of the huge financial rewards on offer — the winners could receive up to to $125million (£93m) — and the global interest they expect from the tournament.
Since the pandemic, the club has held pre-season tours in the United States, and shown a clear interest in growing their brand there and moving away from the Asian market, which was a more common destination in the past.
Showing off a new ‘galactico’ at a Club World Cup in the United States would be a win-win for the club.
What would it cost to cover Alexander-Arnold’s salary if he ended his contract early?
Alexander-Arnold earns around £200,000 a week, plus bonuses, at Liverpool, so if he were to leave a month early — to be part of Madrid’s Club World Cup plans — that would be a shortfall for the player of around £900,000 from his base salary.
What is Liverpool’s stance?
It is unclear how much compensation Liverpool will demand to release Alexander-Arnold from his contract in time for the competition.
According to senior Anfield sources, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, talks between the clubs were initiated by Madrid on Monday night. Not having to pay Alexander-Arnold’s wages in June would benefit Liverpool, but they are also expected to demand a fee, especially given the riches on offer at the Club World Cup.
If an agreement between the clubs cannot be reached then there is a scenario where Alexander-Arnold cannot feature in the group stage, but is eligible for the knockout stages of the tournament, with the right-back’s current contract expiring on June 30. The round of 16 begins on June 28, with the quarter-finals on July 4-5, the semi-finals on July 8-9 and the final in New York on July 13.
How would Madrid sign him outside the summer transfer window?
Well, FIFA announced in October that there would be an “exceptional registration window” open between June 1 and June 10, which would allow clubs competing in the Club World Cup to sign new players before the start of the tournament.
The Premier League and La Liga — the two leagues involved in Alexander-Arnold’s potential move — announced they will hold an extra transfer window for that period.
The regular summer transfer window will reopen on June 16 and close on September 1.
(Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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