Real Madrid is close to signing Trent Alexander-Arnold in time for the Club World Cup. Alexander-Arnold has been linked with Madrid for several months, and he confirmed last week that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season.
It had seemed a formality for some time that Alexander-Arnold would leave Liverpool, and although his next destination has not been officially confirmed, it is clear that he is set to move to the Bernabeu.
Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool contract is due to expire on June 30, and ordinarily his move to Madrid would be a formality, but this summer’s inaugural 32-team Club World Cup complicates matters slightly.
The Club World Cup begins in the middle of June, when Alexander-Arnold, as things stand, will still be a Liverpool player. Madrid is understandably keen to bring the deal forward so that Alexander-Arnold is with the squad in time for the start of the tournament in the United States.
FIFA announced last year that that its member associations which have clubs competing in the Club World Cup would have the option to open an exceptional registration window from June 1 to June 10.
It has since been confirmed that the Premier League and La Liga have agreed to take up that option, which means that, if Madrid and Liverpool can reach an agreement, Alexander-Arnold will be able to join the Spanish club in time for the start of the Club World Cup.
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If an agreement is not reached, Alexander-Arnold will be free to join Madrid from July 1, at which point Los Blancos could add him to its squad for the knockout stage of the competition.
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If Madrid wins its group, which includes Al-Hilal, Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg, it will play its first knockout game on July 1, which Alexander-Arnold would theoretically be eligible to play in.
However, it doesn’t sound as though it will come to that, with ESPN reporting that Madrid is closing in on an agreement for Alexander-Arnold to join the La Liga club in time for the start of the tournament.
Liverpool has requested a fee, believed to be around $1.1 million, in order for Alexander-Arnold to be released in time for the start of the tournament.
His exit would also see Liverpool save hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages that it is currently due to pay Alexander-Arnold during the final month of his contract.
Reds backup Connor Bradley is being prepared by manager Arne Slot to potentially take over from Alexander-Arnold. The 21-year-old started in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal over the weekend.
“I already said Conor is going to start because I think he needs playing time, to get games under his belt to be better prepared for next season,” Slot said on the decision prior to the game.
