Trent Alexander-Arnold will be introduced as a Real Madrid player on Thursday after signing a six-year deal with the club.
Madrid announced his arrival last month, following an agreement with Liverpool to let the 26-year-old defender leave his contract early, just ahead of the Club World Cup.
On Thursday, the England international will officially sign his contract, which lasts until June 30, 2031, at Madrid. After that, club president Florentino Perez will present him at the Valdebebas training ground, where he will also answer questions from reporters during a news conference.
Alexander-Arnold has left Liverpool after spending 20 years there, becoming one of the most well-known full-backs in the world. He won nine trophies during his time at Liverpool, including the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League titles in 2020 and 2025.
He has played for England in three major tournaments: the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and Euro 2024. Alexander-Arnold has been on Madrid’s radar for a long time and decided to join after choosing not to extend his contract at Anfield.
ESPN reported that the LaLiga team attempted to sign the right-back in January because they needed to fill in for their injured captain Dani Carvajal, who has been out since October, but Liverpool turned down that offer.
Later, the Premier League champions confirmed that Alexander-Arnold had told them he wouldn’t be signing a new contract, stating he was looking for “a new challenge.” Madrid then worked out an early release before his contract was set to end on June 30 so he could participate in the Club World Cup.
A source told ESPN that Madrid agreed to pay a fee of €10 million ($11.5 million), although neither club announced this amount publicly. Sources mentioned that Madrid thought having Alexander-Arnold play in the tournament in the United States would help him adjust to the team and improve their chances of winning.
Madrid also signed center-back Dean Huijsen ahead of the Club World Cup as new coach Xabi Alonso aims to strengthen the team’s defense. The club is also pursuing deals for Benfica defender Álvaro Carreras and River Plate’s Franco Mastantuono, but both players have traveled to the United States with their current teams.
