Real Madrid's deadline to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold as Xabi Alonso intervenes

Daily Mirror

a day ago

Trent Alexander-Arnold's Liverpool contract is set to expire at the end of June but the Reds could still earn a transfer fee from Real Madrid as they look to do a deal quickly
Real Madrid could agree a deal with Liverpool to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold before his contract runs out within the next 24 hours. The La Liga side are said to have accelerated talks with the Reds in a bid to quickly get a deal over the line.
New boss Xabi Alonso would like to see Alexander-Arnold in his squad in time for Los Blancos' first match of the Club World Cup. Real face Al-Hilal in Miami on June 18 and want to take advantage of the first part of the transfer window between June 1 and June 10 that has been facilitated for the competition.
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Liverpool want to earn a fee for their full-back if he is to depart before the end of his contract next month. Alexander-Arnold has already announced his decision to depart Anfield and endured an emotional goodbye on the final day of the season.
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And it appears that Real are now motivated to get a deal done quickly with the Times reporting that a deal could be agreed as soon as today. Alexander-Arnold is due to join up with England squad next week, for games against Andorra and Senegal, and the Spanish giants want the international to officially be their player by this point.
Real Madrid attempted to prise Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool in January but the Premier League champions rejected the bid outright as they focused on claiming the title. And they are now keen to land the 26-year-old in time for the Club World Cup.
Alexander-Arnold has long been expected to head to the Bernabeu upon his departure from his hometown club. The defender remained tight-lipped on his future as contract ticked down as he eventually saw Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk extend their deals having been in the final months of their own agreements.
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After Liverpool secured the Premier League title, Alexander-Arnold made his announcement and received some backlash from supporters. In his first appearance following the news, he was widely booed but on the final day of the season he saw a more appreciative response.
"Yeah, I didn't know what to expect," he said on Sunday. "Stepping out at Anfield today after what had happened a few weeks ago, but I wanted to play for the club one more time.
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"I said that to the manager and he trusted me to go in there at half-time and to get the reception that I got it means more than anything to me.
"I've played hundreds of games for the club, but I've never felt so loved and so cared for than today, and I found 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."