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Madrid Paid for a Free Transfer to Get Arnold Sooner

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Marcelo Cartaxo | Last updated May 30, 2025 12:07 PM ET

Real Madrid, with Xabi Alonso as manager for the Club World Cup, officially paid Liverpool $13 million for Trent Alexander-Arnold, one of the lowest transfer fees of all time for a two time Premier League champion.

The right-back did not show any interest in being a part of Liverpool's future, with Arne Slot in charge of the squad. According to rumors, it had been decided months into the season that Trent Alexander-Arnold would leave the club, and when the contract renovations with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk became public, Arnold's time with the club was officially over.

Real Madrid didn’t have to pay for Arnold as his contract with Liverpool expires in a month, but they made a 'symbolic payment' to have the player available for the Club World Cup in June. Both parties agreed on a symbolic payment to terminate the previous contract, so Trent could sign with Madrid as soon as possible. Shortly after, the Spanish club made the official announcement on social media.

#WelcomeTrent pic.twitter.com/FkySMnU5cs
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) May 30, 2025

Arne Slot didn't like Arnold's performance on training ground

During his time at Liverpool, Arnold evolved from an inexperienced, slow player to one of the best right-backs in the game under Jürgen Klopp’s management. Now, he’s off to play in a professional league where his biggest strength, the passing ability, is a basic requirement, and his defensive skills should improve. On the other hand, it might not be necessary since Madrid signed the Bournemouth center-back Dean Huijnsen.

Before the last match of the season, Arne Slot said in a press-conference that Trent Alexander-Arnold is a better defender than most people think. From the first time he stepped into the training ground, Slot was not happy with the way Trent performed in the sessions, but had to play him anyway because there wasn’t a better option for the right-back position.

With his departure, Liverpool quickly signed with Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen. Now, with the amount of money Real Madrid paid for TAA, there is more money in the bank than ever for Liverpool to spend.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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