Real Madrid is reportedly on the verge of reaching an agreement with Trent Alexander-Arnold, with the right-back set to depart Liverpool on a free transfer at the end of the season.
The England international is out of contract at the end of the campaign, along with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, and has been on Real’s radar for some time. The La Liga giants failed with a January transfer bid but were free to talk to Alexander-Arnold and are believed to have been in negotiations since then.
Despite Liverpool being on track to clinch the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s debut year in charge, the shadow of Real Madrid’s interest in Alexander-Arnold has loomed large.
Since rising through the academy ranks, Alexander-Arnold has become one of Liverpool’s key players, even earning the vice-captaincy last year. The news will undoubtedly be a significant blow to Slot, who has consistently expressed his desire to retain Alexander-Arnold at the club.
Jurgen Klopp, who gave the defender his first-team opportunity, will also be saddened to see Alexander-Arnold leave Anfield. Klopp waved goodbye to Anfield last summer after a successful nine-year tenure in Liverpool.
He oversaw the departure of several top players, but it’s his comments following Philippe Coutinho’s move to Barcelona that linger in the minds of many supporters.
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“I told him to stay here and they will end up building a statue in your honour,” Klopp disclosed not long after the 2018 transfer. “Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid, and you will be just another player. Here you can be something more.”
Coutinho’s switch to Barcelona didn’t pan out well, and while Alexander-Arnold’s potential move to the Bernabeu might not follow the same path, Klopp’s sentiments could echo once more.
A lifelong fan of the Reds, Alexander-Arnold has been with the academy since he was six and is approaching 350 appearances for the club. Yet, amidst widespread speculation and reports that Alexander-Arnold has ‘agreed’ to a five-year deal with Real Madrid, it seems his two-decade-long journey with Liverpool may be nearing its conclusion.
