Trent Alexander-Arnold will be presented as a Real Madrid player on Thursday, after signing a six-year contract at the club.
Madrid confirmed Alexander-Arnold’s arrival last month, after reaching an agreement with Liverpool to release the defender, 26, from his contract early ahead of the Club World Cup.
The England international will formally sign his contract at Madrid — set to run until June 30, 2031 — on Thursday, before being presented by president Florentino Perez at the club’s Valdebebas training ground, and facing questions from the media in a news conference.
Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool after spending 20 years at Anfield, establishing himself as one of the world’s most high-profile full-backs and winning nine trophies, including the 2019 Champions League and the 2020 and 2025 Premier League titles.
He has featured for England at three major tournaments: the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and Euro 2024.
Alexander-Arnold has been a long-term target for Madrid, and joins after opting not to renew his contract at Anfield. ESPN reported that the LaLiga club tried to sign the right-back in January — as they looked to replace injured captain Dani Carvajal, absent since October — but that attempt was rebuffed by Liverpool.
The Premier League champions later confirmed that Alexander-Arnold had informed them that he would not be signing a new deal — saying he needed “a new challenge” — and Madrid then negotiated an early release before his contract was due to expire on June 30, to enable him to take part in the Club World Cup.
A source told ESPN that Madrid had agreed to pay a €10 million fee ($11.5m), although neither club made the figure public. Madrid believed Alexander-Arnold’s participation in the tournament in the United States would help him adapt to the team, sources said, as well as boosting their chances of success in the competition.
Madrid have also brought in centre-back Dean Huijsen ahead of the Club World Cup, as new coach Xabi Alonso looks to rebuild the team’s defence.
The club have also been working on deals for Benfica defender Álvaro Carreras and River Plate’s Franco Mastantuono, although both players have travelled to the United States with their current clubs.
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