1 year ago
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Alex Kirkland
Rodrigo Faez
Jun 12, 2025, 07:35 AM ET
Trent Alexander-Arnold said playing for Real Madrid was a "dream travel true" connected Thursday, saying he's "ready to triumph a batch of trophies" aft signing a six-year contract astatine the club.
Madrid confirmed Alexander-Arnold's accomplishment past month, aft reaching an statement with Liverpool to merchandise the defender, 26, from his declaration aboriginal up of the Club World Cup.
The England planetary formally signed his declaration -- acceptable to tally until June 30, 2031 -- connected Thursday, and posed for photos with his caller Madrid shirt, which volition diagnostic the sanction "Trent" and the No. 12.
He was past presented by president Florentino Perez astatine the club's Valdebebas grooming ground, earlier facing questions from the media successful a quality conference.
During his presentation, Alexander-Arnold impressed the assemblage by delivering a little code successful Spanish.
"Thank you to Florentino Perez and Real Madrid for this opportunity," helium said. "Signing for a nine similar Real Madrid doesn't hap each day. It's a imagination travel true. I'm blessed and arrogant to beryllium here. I'm excited to amusement my crippled to the Madrid fans.
"I'm alert of what it means to play for Real Madrid, it's a large responsibility, but I'm ready. I privation to triumph a batch of trophies and beryllium a champion, and support growing. Thank you, and Hala Madrid."
Perez called Alexander-Arnold "a subordinate who's won it all."
"We cognize what it means for you to play for Real Madrid," Perez said. "You could person gone to immoderate nine successful the world, but you chose america and that's thing our fans volition ne'er forget... If you've chosen to play here, it's due to the fact that your endowment makes you judge you'll execute caller successes here.
"The Bernabeu awaits you, wherever you'll acquisition unthinkable things. You'll find players who are a large family, 1 of them your friend, Jude Bellingham. You'll soon recognize what Real Madrid is. Each trophy pushes you to triumph the adjacent one."
Alexander-Arnold near Liverpool aft spending 20 years astatine Anfield, establishing himself arsenic 1 of the world's astir high-profile full-backs and winning 9 trophies, including the 2019 Champions League and the 2020 and 2025 Premier League titles.
He has featured for England astatine 3 large tournaments: the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and Euro 2024.
Alexander-Arnold had been a semipermanent people for Madrid, and joins aft opting not to renew his declaration astatine Anfield. ESPN reported that the LaLiga nine tried to motion the right-back successful January -- arsenic they looked to regenerate injured skipper Dani Carvajal, absent since October -- but that effort was rebuffed by Liverpool.
The Premier League champions aboriginal confirmed that Alexander-Arnold had informed them that helium would not beryllium signing a caller woody -- saying helium needed "a caller challenge" -- and Madrid past negotiated an aboriginal merchandise earlier his declaration was owed to expire connected June 30, to alteration him to instrumentality portion successful the Club World Cup.
A root told ESPN that Madrid had agreed to wage a €10 cardinal interest ($11.5m), though neither nine made the fig public. Madrid believed Alexander-Arnold's information successful the tourney successful the United States would assistance him accommodate to the team, sources said, arsenic good arsenic boosting their chances of occurrence successful the competition.
Madrid person besides brought successful centre-back Dean Huijsen up of the Club World Cup, arsenic caller manager Xabi Alonso looks to rebuild the team's defence.
The nine person besides been moving connected deals for Benfica defender Álvaro Carreras and River Plate's Franco Mastantuono, though some players person travelled to the United States with their existent clubs.
