Transfers
Real Madrid Pay Upfront To Sign Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold will become a Real Madrid player on Sunday, 1 June after Liverpool accepted a fee to release the defender early from his contract.
Sources at Liverpool have indicated that the fee is 10m euros (£8.4m), which Real have made as a single, up-front payment. However, sources at the Spanish club have suggested they have paid a lower amount.
A payment has been agreed to allow the England right-back to join Real in time to play in the Club World Cup.
The 26-year-old would have been able to leave Liverpool on a free transfer when his contract expired on 30 June.
Alexander-Arnold, who had already confirmed he would leave Liverpool this summer, has agreed a six-year deal and his contract includes a 1bn euro (£840m) buy-out clause.
Fifa approved an additional window for this summer, from 1-10 June, allowing teams to register new players for the expanded month-long Club World Cup, which starts on 14 June and is being held in the United States.
Real’s opening group game is against Saudi side Al-Hilal on 18 June in Miami.
Before that, Alexander-Arnold could add to his 33 England caps having been named in the squad for their World Cup qualifier against Andorra (7 June) and friendly against Senegal (10 June).
Alexander-Arnold has been with Liverpool since joining his hometown club at the age of six.
He has won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, Fifa Club World Cup, Uefa Super Cup, FA Cup and League Cup with the Reds.
But earlier this month he said he had decided to leave to experience a “new challenge” and to push himself “personally and professionally”.
Alexander-Arnold leaves Liverpool having claimed 23 goals and 92 assists in 354 appearances for the club.
He will join England team-mate Jude Bellingham in Madrid, plus former Liverpool and Real midfielder Xabi Alonso.
Alonso, 43, has succeeded Carlo Ancelotti as Real boss after the club failed to win a major domestic or European trophy for the first time since 2020-21.
Bbc.com
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