Real Madrid pay fee to sign Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool before Club World Cup
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
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Kylian Mbappe ‘not bitter' about PSG's Champions League triumph
Kylian Mbappe (right) arriving for a training session on June 7 for France's national team, near Stuttgart, southwestern Germany. PHOTO: AFP STUTTGART, Germany - France captain Kylian Mbappe said on June 7 he is not bitter Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League the year after his departure for Real Madrid. 'I didn't leave too soon; my story with PSG was over. I am not bitter; I had reached the end of the road,' Mbappe said in a press conference ahead of a June 8 Nations League third place match against Germany in Stuttgart. PSG crushed Inter Milan 5-0 to win the Champions League in Munich on May 31, the first time the club has won the competition. 'I tried everything, and it was destiny that meant it had to happen without me,' said Mbappe. 'PSG winning the Champions League without me doesn't affect me. I was happy, I think they deserved it. 'They've had so many years where they struggled. I've been there too; I've played in every Champions League stage in Paris except for the victory. 'They're the best team in Europe. 'I don't remember seeing a team win 5-0 in a major final.' Mbappe has repeated his desire to win Europe's biggest club competition, but the closest the Paris-born forward got with his boyhood club was losing the final in 2020 to Bayern Munich. The 26-year-old moved to Madrid in the summer of 2024 hoping to lift the Champions League, but the Spanish giants crashed out in the quarter-finals of the competition to Arsenal in April. Real failed to win a trophy in the 2024-25 season, their first campaign without silverware in four years. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Cristiano Ronaldo rules himself out of Club World Cup
MUNICH, Germany - Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed he would not play in the upcoming Club World Cup on June 7, dismissing rumours he was set to transfer to one of the participating clubs. Speaking ahead of the June 8 Nations League final against Spain in Munich, the Portugal captain said suggestions he was set to take part in the newly expanded competition were wide of the mark. 'I will not be at the Club World Cup,' the Portugal veteran said, but added he had 'been contacted' by several participating teams. Ronaldo came into Nations League in Germany amid swirling doubts about his future at club level, with the veteran's contract at Saudi side Al-Nassr set to expire at the end of June. In May, the Portuguese posted on social media 'the chapter is over' as reports emerged he could switch to another club, potentially Saudi side Al Hilal, one of the teams who will be at the tournament in the United States in June. Ronaldo said he was not interested in making a short-term decision which would allow him to play in the competition. 'Some teams reached out to me. Some made sense and others did not, but you can't try and do everything, you can't catch every ball.' The forward said the decision on his future was 'almost final'. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
6 hours ago
- CNA
Ronaldo says he does not plan to play at Club World Cup
Al-Nassr and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo said on Saturday he did not plan to play at the Club World Cup in the United States, despite being courted by clubs participating in the expanded 32-team tournament. Speculation over the 40-year-old's future intensified last month when FIFA President Gianni Infantino said discussions were underway about Ronaldo playing in the Club World Cup, despite Al-Nassr failing to qualify. Al-Nassr's sporting director Fernando Hierro said last month they were negotiating with Ronaldo over a contract extension but faced competition from a host of clubs eager to sign the five-times Ballon d'Or winner. Ronaldo himself added to the uncertainty after Al-Nassr's season-ending match at Al-Fateh, posting on social media: "This chapter is over. The story? Still being written." Asked about the possibility of signing for another club in the coming days in order to play at the Club World Cup later this month, Ronaldo told reporters: "It's irrelevant, at the moment it doesn't make sense to talk about things other than the national team. "There has been plenty of contact (from clubs), I see things that make sense, others that don't. You can't go to all of them (clubs), you have to think short, medium and long term. "It's something that's practically decided on my part, which is not to go to the Club World Cup, but I've had plenty of invitations." On Wednesday, Ronaldo scored the winner as Portugal beat Germany 2-1 to go into the Nations League final, where they will face Spain. Many have labelled Sunday's final as a face-off between Ronaldo and 17-year-old Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal but the Portuguese forward said he did not see it as such. "It's always been like that, whenever I've played football, whenever I've played a big game it's always been Cristiano against this one, against that one," he said. "It's been 20-something years and it's still the same, it doesn't keep me up at night anymore, it's a normal thing. They're completely different generations, a generation that's starting out, another that's finishing, which is my case. "In reality it's not like that, it's a team against a team. It will always be like that... What I want most is for Portugal to be at a good level, confident that things can go well, that we can play a great game and win against a very good team, possibly the best in the world."
