
Real Madrid pay fee to sign Liverpool's Trent before Club World Cup
Real Madrid: Real Madrid have signed Trent Alexander-Arnold on a six-year deal, the LaLiga club said on Friday, paying Liverpool a fee to release the England defender from his contract a month early to allow him to join before the Club World Cup.
Alexander-Arnold, who joined Liverpool when he was six and made 354 appearances for the Premier League side since his senior debut in 2016, said earlier this month he would leave the club once his contract expired on June 30.
However, Real have signed Alexander-Arnold before his Liverpool contract ended, making him available for the Club World Cup to be played from June 14-July 13 in the United States.
"Liverpool will receive a fee for his services, with the deal to be concluded once the window opens on June 1," Liverpool said in a statement, with British media reporting Real paid the Premier League champions 10 million pounds ($13.48 million).
Newly-appointed Real coach Xabi Alonso will hope Alexander-Arnold's inclusion solves the club's defensive woes, with right back Daniel Carvajal among five defenders out with injuries.
Real, who failed to defend their LaLiga and Champions League titles this season, played winger Lucas Vazquez at right back for most of the campaign due to the injury crisis.
With 33-year-old Carvajal entering the twilight of his career, Alexander-Arnold will be seen as part of Real's succession plan.
Alexander-Arnold, who can also play in midfield, scored 23 goals and provided 92 assists for Liverpool in his senior career. He has scored four goals for England.
Born in Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold rose through the youth ranks to become one of the best right backs in the world, winning two Premier League titles, the Champions League and the Club World Cup with the English team.
The 26-year-old frequently played in a hybrid midfield role for Liverpool in recent seasons, operating as a full back when out of possession but moving into midfield during attacks.
The Liverpool-born player bid a tearful farewell to his boyhood club as he collected his second Premier League winner's medal on Sunday, having also helped the club previously win the FA Cup, the Champions League and the Club World Cup.
"Alexander-Arnold leaves Liverpool FC with the club appreciative and grateful for his contribution to those successes," Liverpool added.
He joins England teammate Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid, a club that has signed famous Englishmen in the past like Steve McManaman, David Beckham and Michael Owen. — Reuters
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Times of Oman
12 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Five-star Paris Saint-Germain are champions of Europe
MUNICH: Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are European champions for the first time after a record-breaking 5-0 victory over Inter in the UEFA Champions League final played in Munich on Sunday night. Luis Enrique-coached PSG are the 24th different champions in European Cup history and it was the second Champions League title for Enrique, having previously won with Barcelona. Inter had trailed for only 17 minutes of their 14-game campaign prior to the final, but it did not take long for them to fall behind on this occasion. Vitinha picked the first lock with a perfectly-weighted pass for Désiré Doué, who in turn showed silky skill to square for Hakimi to convert from close range against his former club. Ousmane Dembélé provided the silver-service assist on 20 minutes, racing clear down the left before checking back on the edge of the penalty area to locate Doué. The 19-year-old needed one touch with his chest to take control and another with his right foot to fire in a shot which deflected in off Federico Dimarco. The Nerazzurri settled as the half wore on but had only off-target headers from Francesco Acerbi and Marcus Thuram to show for their efforts. Though there was renewed vigour from Simone Inzaghi's side after the break, it was Les Rouge-et-Bleu who once again had the creative and clinical edge. It was Vitinha's turn to drive decisively from midfield just after the hour, exchanging passes with Dembélé before sliding through for Doué to drill emphatically into the bottom right of the goal. It was a different corner but the same result ten minutes later, Dembélé laying on his second assist of the night for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who fired low into the net. Gianluigi Donnarumma pulled off a stunning save to keep out Thuram but there was still time for Senny Mayulu to apply the record-breaking flourish. Mayulu, also 19, combined neatly with fellow replacement Bradley Barcola before smashing a powerful strike in off a post. Paris had secured the biggest-ever margin of victory in a European Cup final. It was a commanding first-half performance morphed into one of blissful attacking endeavour in the second. An incisive, inspired showing from PSG, and one which makes history for more reasons than one. Former England star Rio Ferdinand told TNT Sports after the match: "Paris dominated it – they suffocated them and pressed them. From the word go, they pressed the life out of them and they had players that were in killer mode today. It's an astonishing performance in a game of this magnitude. I don't think I've ever seen such dominance at this stage." Key stats: • Doué and Mayulu are only the third and fourth teenagers to score in a UEFA Champions League final, after Patrick Kluivert in 1995 and Carlos Alberto in 2004. • No team had ever won a European Cup final by more than a four-goal margin prior to this. • Doué is the first player to score twice in a final since Gareth Bale for Real Madrid against Liverpool in 2018, and the eighth to do so in the Champions League era. • Luis Enrique is the seventh coach to win the European Cup with multiple teams, having also guided Barcelona to glory in 2015. • Hakimi is the first Moroccan to score in a European Cup final. • Paris have played 99 Champions League matches since they were involved in a 0-0 draw (vs Real Madrid, 2015/16 group stage). • Inter had trailed for just 17 minutes of their entire 14-game campaign prior to the final. • All four European Cup finals in Munich have produced a first-time winner. What next: PSG will take on UEFA Europa League winners Tottenham in the UEFA Super Cup in Udine on Wednesday, 13 August. The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League begins with the first qualifying round on 8/9 July; the draw takes place on Tuesday 17 June. Both PSG and Inter will enter next season's competition in the league phase, the draw for which takes place on 28 August. Line-ups: PSG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes (Hernández 78); João Neves (Zaïre-Emery 84), Vitinha, Fabián Ruiz (Mayulu 84); Kvaratskhelia (Gonçalo Ramos 84), Dembélé, Doué (Barcola 66) Inter Milan: Sommer; Pavard (Bisseck 53; Darmian 62), Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Hakan Çalhanoglu (Asllani 70), Mkhitaryan (Augusto 62), Dimarco (Zalewski 53); Lautaro Martínez, Thuram.


Observer
2 days ago
- Observer
Real Madrid pay fee to sign Liverpool's Trent before Club World Cup
Real Madrid: Real Madrid have signed Trent Alexander-Arnold on a six-year deal, the LaLiga club said on Friday, paying Liverpool a fee to release the England defender from his contract a month early to allow him to join before the Club World Cup. Alexander-Arnold, who joined Liverpool when he was six and made 354 appearances for the Premier League side since his senior debut in 2016, said earlier this month he would leave the club once his contract expired on June 30. However, Real have signed Alexander-Arnold before his Liverpool contract ended, making him available for the Club World Cup to be played from June 14-July 13 in the United States. "Liverpool will receive a fee for his services, with the deal to be concluded once the window opens on June 1," Liverpool said in a statement, with British media reporting Real paid the Premier League champions 10 million pounds ($13.48 million). Newly-appointed Real coach Xabi Alonso will hope Alexander-Arnold's inclusion solves the club's defensive woes, with right back Daniel Carvajal among five defenders out with injuries. Real, who failed to defend their LaLiga and Champions League titles this season, played winger Lucas Vazquez at right back for most of the campaign due to the injury crisis. With 33-year-old Carvajal entering the twilight of his career, Alexander-Arnold will be seen as part of Real's succession plan. Alexander-Arnold, who can also play in midfield, scored 23 goals and provided 92 assists for Liverpool in his senior career. He has scored four goals for England. Born in Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold rose through the youth ranks to become one of the best right backs in the world, winning two Premier League titles, the Champions League and the Club World Cup with the English team. The 26-year-old frequently played in a hybrid midfield role for Liverpool in recent seasons, operating as a full back when out of possession but moving into midfield during attacks. The Liverpool-born player bid a tearful farewell to his boyhood club as he collected his second Premier League winner's medal on Sunday, having also helped the club previously win the FA Cup, the Champions League and the Club World Cup. "Alexander-Arnold leaves Liverpool FC with the club appreciative and grateful for his contribution to those successes," Liverpool added. He joins England teammate Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid, a club that has signed famous Englishmen in the past like Steve McManaman, David Beckham and Michael Owen. — Reuters


Observer
2 days ago
- Observer
Allegri returns to AC Milan as head coach for second time
Milan: AC Milan appointed Massimiliano Allegri as the new head coach on Friday, a day after sacking Sergio Conceicao, with the Italian tasked with transforming the struggling club into title contenders again in his second stint. Allegri will replace the Portuguese coach who came in mid-season to help them win the Italian Super Cup but was sacked after the club ultimately failed to qualify for any European competition after a disappointing eighth-placed finish. Their final game of the season, a 2-0 home win over Monza, was overshadowed by fan protests against the club ownership and hierarchy. Milan did not mention the length of Allegri's contract. The 57-year-old's first stint lasted three-and-a-half seasons where he took charge in 178 games before he was sacked when the club found themselves 30 points behind leaders Juve in January 2014. The Italian will also have to wait to take charge of his team in an official game as he has not finished serving a suspension after being sent off in his last game for Juve in May 2024. Juve won the Coppa Italia beating Atalanta in the final but Allegri sent off towards the end of the game for his fierce protests over refereeing decisions, a reason Juve cited for his dismissal. Milan, who started the season with Paulo Fonseca in charge before Conceicao took over, finished 13th in the new Champions League group stage before they were knocked out by Dutch side Feyenoord in the knockout phase playoffs. Conceicao's side nearly salvaged their season with a Coppa Italia run but lost in the final where Bologna won 1-0 to end a 51-year trophy drought and also qualify for the Europa League. Seven-times winners of the Champions League, Milan have not won the competition since their last triumph in the 2006-07 season while their last Scudetto came in the 2021-22 campaign. Allegri, who previously guided Milan to a Serie A title in the 2010-11 season, last managed Juventus. The Italian won five league titles and five Coppa Italia trophies with Juve in two separate stints while also guiding them to two Champions League finals. — Reuters