Real Madrid’s plan to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold before the Club World Cup

In football, no deal is done and dusted until the ink on the contract is dry. When it comes to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s proposed move to Real Madrid, things are heating up, almost finalized, pending only the final handshake.

Alexander-Arnold - still no new deal with Premier League champions, Liverpool

Trent’s contract with Liverpool will expire this summer, and he has ignored every attempt from the club to negotiate a renewal. It’s no secret. The club has made multiple efforts, yet along the banks of the Mersey, they still cling to a shred of hope. More wishful thinking than reality, though, as Madrid is now poised to accelerate proceedings.

The key questions are twofold: ironing out the final details of the contract and setting a date for the player to arrive in the capital and sign it - which is Madrid’s biggest concern. The club wants clarity on whether they’ll be able to count on the right-back for the Club World Cup. The tournament kicks off on June 14, while Trent remains under contract with the Reds until the 30th.

According to sources close to the negotiations, if Liverpool ultimately concedes defeat in this transfer battle, they are unlikely to put up significant resistance to a departure—though, of course, under certain conditions.

The first and most obvious requirement is that the player formally communicates his decision to the club. According to English sources cited by AS, the relationship between the full-back and Liverpool remains positive. “There’s still good chemistry,” they summarize. However, they also note that “it hasn’t been forgotten that he’s leaving without bringing in a transfer fee…”

This leads to the next condition: Trent would need to be willing to forgo his salary for June. As the third highest earner in the squad, that amounts to approximately $970,000 (£180,000 gross per week - which works out at $11.8 million per year).

Those are the factors Liverpool would put in Trent’s court, leaving the final decision up to him.

Compensation: Madrid’s part in the equation

The next condition likely falls on Real Madrid’s side—a compensation fee. While it would essentially be a goodwill gesture, Liverpool wouldn’t let Trent leave while he is still technically under contract at zero cost. That said, the amount wouldn’t be exorbitant—under €1 million (approximately $970,000).

Liverpool fully understand that, given the current circumstances, they are losing the player on a free transfer. However, with this arrangement, they would save the portion of his salary corresponding to June while securing a bit extra through compensation.

In total, Trent’s release would be valued somewhere between €1.5 million and €2 million ($1.6 million–$2.1 million). That’s the price tag for his freedom.

The final step: registering the player

For Real Madrid, the last hurdle is merely a formality—official registration. FIFA has opened two additional transfer windows for clubs participating in the Club World Cup. The first runs from June 1 to June 10 (Madrid kicks off their campaign against Al Hilal on June 18), while the second window, from June 27 to July 3, is reserved for teams advancing to the quarterfinals.

Madrid is focused on the first deadline. There is a chance that Dani Carvajal might be available from the start of the tournament, but he has been out of action since suffering an ACL tear in October and with five league games left to play, is not expected to return before the end of the campaign.

So Alexander-Arnold emerges as the ideal solution—not just for the season ahead, but for the Club World Cup as well. His arrival could be the key piece Madrid needs.

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