Real Madrid have officially commenced discussions with Liverpool concerning the signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold, aiming to complete the move before the Club World Cup.
Earlier this week, the England international announced his departure from his long-time club at the season`s conclusion, with a five-year contract at Real Madrid expected.
Real Madrid are eager for Alexander-Arnold (TAA) to participate in next month`s Club World Cup, potentially needing to pay over £1 million for his immediate release.
Liverpool will continue to pay his £180,000-a-week salary until his current contract ends on June 30th.
Real`s initial match in the US tournament is scheduled for June 18th against Saudi club Al-Hilal.
They have registration windows between June 1-10 and June 27-July 3 for the knockout phase.
While Real had hoped to acquire Alexander-Arnold for approximately £1 million, Liverpool may negotiate more assertively, potentially seeking an additional £500,000.
The 26-year-old has three remaining fixtures for Liverpool, with his final appearance at Anfield set for the season`s closing day against Crystal Palace.
He is also expected to feature against Arsenal on Sunday before the team travels to Brighton.
However, his departure might not be met with universal warmth from the Liverpool fanbase during his final games.
Many fans have expressed anger regarding the defender`s choice to leave his boyhood club.
According to Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher, the negative reaction to his departure is understandable.
In his Telegraph column, Carragher wrote: “Liverpool are in the business of winning more Premier League and Champions League titles. Anything which undermines that is a threat.”
“You may not agree, or believe that competitive attitude to the loss of a star player is justified, but it is what makes Liverpool the successful club it is, and it is no different than what you would expect at Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona or Manchester United.”
“By leaving Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold is making it harder for his own club to win its 21st league title and seventh European Cup. That is bound to stir emotions.”
Alexander-Arnold shared his decision to leave after 20 years at the club in an emotional video.
Key Points from Alexander-Arnold`s Exit Interview
In an interview with Liverpool`s internal media, Trent Alexander-Arnold elaborated on his reasons for leaving Anfield. Key excerpts from his statement include:
“I think first and foremost, I want to say it’s not an easy decision and there’s a lot of thought and feeling that has gone into it. I’ve been here 20 years now, loved every single minute of it, achieved all my dreams, achieved everything I’ve ever wanted to here. Giving everything day in, day out for 20 years, I’ve got to a point now where I feel like I need a change, a new challenge for me as a player and as a person. And I think now is the right time for me to do that.”
“Obviously there’s been a lot of noise around what the decision was going to be and how that was going to look. I know a lot of people will say I should have said sooner, a lot of people will say maybe I waited for the right time. But I felt personally the focus should always be on the pitch.”
“I’ve got full confidence in the manager and the staff and the club going forward. It’s not about me thinking we’re not going to fight for titles or fight for trophies season in, season out… it was never about not having confidence in that, it just boiled down to what I felt I needed, and that is a change.”
“Growing up, seeing players leave that I’ve loved watching and have helped the team win trophies, you feel a connection to the players that you watch, especially when they bring success to the club as well. So, I completely understand the feelings that go with that and I’ve felt it myself so I completely understand that the news will disappoint a lot of people, will anger people, it will make them upset. Obviously that went into the decision as well – it’s something you don’t want to do, you don’t want to ever have these moments where you feel like you’re letting a lot of people down, you’re disappointing a lot of people. But I’ve had to make a decision for me, it’s as simple as that. It’s a difficult one, it’s one that has played on my mind for a long time but being able now to get it off my chest will feel like a weight is lifted. And I think it’s important for the fans to know where I stand and know what the truth is.”
“I fell in love with the club from a very, very young age and that’s something that has grown and grown day in, day out. This club has given me the opportunities to achieve everything beyond my wildest dreams. I can never repay enough of what’s been given to me and I don’t take it for granted at all. I’ve given everything every single day for 20 years now. I’ve sacrificed everything.”
“I know the news will take a bit of time to set in and people won’t be happy and they’ll be disappointed. At the end of the day, you can be angry and hurt at me but I just hope that the lads, the rest of the team, the staff, everyone else is able to feel how good a season this has been and able to feel the love and support from the fans as they have done all season.”
“There’s no doubt about it, I’ll be back – I’d love one day to be able to bring my kids to Anfield and show them that that’s where I’ve played and show them the videos and highlights of what we were able to achieve together. So just a huge thank you for that, thank you for everything you’ve ever done for me. Thank you for the support, thank you for the love that I’ve always felt, thank you for always having my back. I will always love the club, I will always love the people of the club, I will always love the fans and the supporters. Even though I’m leaving as player, as a fan I’ll always be a Liverpool fan.”
