Barring an extraordinary turn of events in the coming weeks, it seems certain that Trent Alexander-Arnold will be a Real Madrid player for the 2025/26 season.
The Liverpool vice-captain announced his exit from his hometown club on Monday, ending months of speculation surrounding his future and sparking an angry backlash from many Reds supporters on social media.
His next destination has yet to be officially confirmed, but it’s the definition of an open secret that he’ll be off to the Bernabeu, with reliable sources such as The Athletic and Fabrizio Romano both indicating yet again yesterday that the 26-year-old will be relocating to the Spanish capital.
In light of the Monday announcement, Real Madrid now seem especially eager to fast-track the transfer with the Club World Cup on the horizon.
Real Madrid could try to complete Trent signing this month
On Tuesday morning, Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol posted (via X) that Los Blancos have approached Liverpool about the possibility of completing the signing ahead of the tournament in the United States, in which they play their first gam on 18 June, 12 days before Trent’s contract at Anfield expires.
Meanwhile, Spanish journalist Miguel Ángel Díaz has claimed (via COPE) that the Bernabeu giants could officially announce the deal after the conclusion of the LaLiga season on 24 May, the day before the Premier League campaign ends.
He added that Real Madrid would be prepared to pay approximately €1m (just over £850,000) to LFC to buy out the final month of his £180,000-per-week contract (Capology) so that he can be registered in time for the Club World Cup.
Only a matter of when and not if Real Madrid move is confirmed
From a Liverpool perspective, there’s no overarching reason not to allow Los Blancos to fast-track the transfer so that Trent can play in the newly-introduced FIFA tournament in the USA.
He’s already confirmed that he’ll be leaving the Reds once the season ends on 25 May, and while the prospective income from releasing him from his contract early is minimal in a wider context for LFC, it’s still money that we’d rather see in Anfield pockets than Real Madrid’s.
What could be interesting is the precise date for the 26-year-old’s unveiling at the Bernabeu, if Los Blancos plan to announce his signing when they’ve completed their LaLiga duties.
Liverpool will receive the Premier League trophy after their home match against Crystal Palace on the 25th, with a celebratory parade through the city the next day.
While some Reds fans might argue that Trent doesn’t deserve to be involved in those celebrations because of his perceived act of treachery, others may feel that he’s earned the right to be part of it due to his on-field contribution towards the top-flight title being won.
What could happen is that he’s allowed to remain on Merseyside until after the parade, with Real Madrid announcing his transfer later that week in time for him to partake in the Club World Cup. If that happens, so be it – the tournament is no business of ours.
