Real Madrid's decision to pry defender Trent Alexander-Arnold out of his Liverpool contract one month before it expires could pay dividends at the Club World Cup.
The Spanish club will pay Liverpool a reported fee of up to 10 million euros ($11 million) to get the England right back on June 1 — rather than for free at the end of the month.
That means the 26-year-old Alexander-Arnold — who has agreed on a six-year contract through June 2031 — will be able to play for Xabi Alonso’s team at the Club World Cup in the United States starting in mid-June, Madrid announced Friday.
The prize for the Club World Cup champion? Up to $125 million.
“Welcome @trentarnold66!” fellow England international Jude Bellingham wrote on Instagram about his new Madrid teammate, accompanied by a photo of the pair.
Madrid opens its Club World Cup group stage against Saudi club Al-Hilal on June 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Alexander-Arnold had been criticized by some Liverpool fans for having let his contract run down — meaning he could leave as a free agent.
But since Alexander-Arnold was still under contract with the Premier League champions until the end of June, Liverpool was able to extract a fee for letting him go early.
Special windows
Madrid and the other 31 teams playing in the Club World Cup can make early signings under FIFA-approved special trading windows from June 1-10 and again June 27-July 3.
Liverpool, which did not qualify for the Club World Cup, confirmed it accepted Madrid's offer for Alexander-Arnold and that it “will receive a fee for his services, with the deal to be concluded once the window opens on June 1.” Neither club specified the amount.
Alexander-Arnold had announced earlier this month that he'd be leaving his boyhood club — with Madrid the expected destination.
By its own high standards, Madrid had a disappointing season, finishing runner-up to rival Barcelona despite having signed France star Kylian Mbappe last summer.
Madrid hopes that Alexander-Arnold will reinforce a defense that was hammered by injuries this season as the team failed to win a title.
The team's announcement noted that he “can also play in midfield.”
Coaching change
Alexander-Arnold will join Bellingham on a team that is undergoing a coaching change with Alonso taking over from Carlo Ancelotti.
At Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold helped the club win two Premier League titles, a Champions League title and two FA Cup trophies, among other silverware.
“Alexander-Arnold leaves Liverpool FC with the club appreciative and grateful for his contribution to those successes,” the Merseyside club said in a statement.
He made 354 appearances for Liverpool and scored 23 goals — but his key attribute is as a provider from the right side, perhaps most famously in the Champions League semifinals in 2019 when his quickly taken corner set up Divock Origi's strike to complete a memorable comeback against Barcelona at Anfield.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Ken Maguire, The Associated Press
