"This is the toughest decision I have ever made." With these words, Trent Alexander-Arnold announced that he will not renew his contract with Liverpool, the club where he made his professional football debut and won a Champions League and two Premier League titles. At 26 years old, the English national team right-back's contract ends this June 30 and, as confirmed by this newspaper, he will sign for Real Madrid.
"After 20 years at Liverpool Football Club, the time has come to confirm that I will be leaving at the end of the season. Undoubtedly, this is the toughest decision I have ever made in my life," the player explained in a statement. "I know many have wondered why or felt frustrated by not having talked about this yet, but it was always my intention to focus on what was best for the team: securing the 20th League title," he said.
Liverpool, on their part, also shared a message: "The 26-year-old player will end his two-decade relationship with the 'reds' after deciding to leave Anfield once his contract expires on June 30, 2025."
Alexander-Arnold, a close friend of Jude Bellingham, has not confirmed that his future lies at the Santiago Bernabéu, while waiting for the white team to decide on the timing of the announcement, likely after the end of the League on May 25.
"This club has been my entire life, my whole world, for 20 years. From the Academy until now, the support and affection I have felt from everyone, inside and outside the club, will stay with me forever. I will be eternally grateful. But I have never known anything else, and this decision is about experiencing a new challenge, stepping out of my comfort zone, and pushing myself both professionally and personally. I have given my all every day I have been at this club, and I hope they feel that I have given something back during my time here," acknowledged the player.
The ball is now in Real Madrid's court, as they have been working on acquiring the English player for over a year, hence their refusal to sign a right-back when Carvajal injured his knee at the beginning of this season. Ancelotti was forced to rely on Lucas Vázquez and Fede Valverde because the club was confident in Alexander-Arnold's arrival, considering him a "generational" player in his position.
With his departure from Liverpool announced and his signing with the white team agreed upon, pending the official announcement, Real Madrid is now working on negotiating with the 'red' team so that the right-back can play with the Spanish team in the upcoming Club World Cup. The tournament starts overnight from June 14 to 15, and the right-back's contract with Liverpool, which is not participating in the tournament, ends on the 30th of the same month. Anfield Road's organization will request financial compensation from Madrid, but the white team is confident that Alexander-Arnold will be the first signing for the American event.