Trent Alexander-Arnold has seen a deal agreed between Real Madrid and Liverpool so that he can join the La Liga giants early and participate in all of the Club World Cup
Real Madrid have taken the unusual step of signing Trent Alexander-Arnold a month before his Liverpool contract expires. The La Liga giants have paid up a £10million fee of which £8.4m will go to Liverpool and the remainder will cover his wages for June.
Alexander-Arnold has signed a six-year deal with Los Blancos after spending the last 20 with Liverpool and will be confirmed as a new star at the Bernabeu when the transfer window opens on June 1st. The full-back has long been courted by Madrid, who saw a £20m bid knocked back in January.
New Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso was keen to have Alexander-Arnold's services at his disposal as he prepares for his first matches in charges of the Spanish side. Real face Al-Hilal, Pachuca and RB Salzburg in the group stage of the Club World Cup next month.
And in part, it is that tournament in the United States that has seen Alonso's side keen to get a deal over the line. They will now be able to register him for the start of the tournament.
With a mid-tournament registration period available, Alexander-Arnold would have been able to join Real Madrid at the end of his contract but would miss his new side's opening three matches. The competition could prove lucrative however and now Alonso will be able to utilise his new player from the outset.
A maximum prize of £97m awaits Club World Cup contenders, with £29.6m to be claimed by Real Madrid just for participating in the tournament. A group-stage win will net a team £1.5m, with additional boosts of £5.8m for reaching the last 16, £10.2m for the quarter-finals, £16.3m for reaching the semi-finals, and £31m for winning the final.
And confirmed in their statement announcing his signing that 'Alexander-Arnold will be playing for Real Madrid in the Club World Cup'. With Dani Carvajal injured the likes of Lucas Vasquez and Federico Valverde have deputised on the right side of defence, meaning there could be space for Alexander-Arnold to slot straight into the team.
The Liverpool academy product announced his decision to depart Anfield earlier this season, after the Reds wrapped up the Premier League title. And Real have been keen to get a deal over the line before Alexander-Arnold joins up with England next week for games against Andorra and Senegal.
The player initially saw a backlash over his decision to not extend his stay on Merseyside but received a positive reception on the final day of the season. "I've played hundreds of games for the club, but I've never felt so loved and so cared for than today," he said.
"And I from the bottom of my heart I hope that one day the fans and the supporters of this club will be able to recognise the hard work and everything that I've done for the team. Because there wasn't a day, there wasn't a minute, there wasn't a second that I didn't think about the team.
"From six years old to 26 now -- 20 years. It's a very, very long time but I've loved every single minute of it. The ups and the downs, coming through the academy, making it to the first team, then being part of the first team properly. It's been an honour and a privilege for me to be a part of this club."