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News
- 10 minutes ago
Trent Alexander-Arnold: Why are Real Madrid paying €10m for a free agent?
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 30 May 2025 06:01 CDT
- 3 min read
Analysis
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s long-awaited move to Real Madrid from Liverpool has finally been confirmed – but there was still one final surprise awaiting the announcement of the deal.
While Real Madrid had been hopeful that they would have Trent in their ranks for the FIFA Club World Cup, it had been expected that they would pay around €1 million for the 26-year-old to sign him before the end of his deal. Had they wanted to wait until 1 July to make the move, he could have arrived without a transfer fee.
Instead, The Athletic reports that they will pay a whopping €10m to sign a player who had just 30 days left on his contract at Anfield.
In addition to this, Real Madrid will also pay an extra month’s wages to Alexander-Arnold, saving Liverpool a reported €1.9m. This saving is why some sources, such as the Liverpool Echo, are citing the transfer fee as being worth £10m (€11.9m) to the Reds.
Current ETV
Trent Alexander-Arnold
D (R)
Liverpool
Trent Alexander-Arnold
D (R)
Liverpool
ETV Range
€50.2M - €61.4M
Why are Real Madrid spending so much on Trent?
The FIFA Club World Cup has provided the catalyst for Real Madrid to splash out on Alexander-Arnold.
Los Blancos are competing in the US competition, whereas Liverpool will not.
Clearly, there is a belief that having the player for an additional 30 days can make the difference in their performance.
Trent might have arrived mid-way through the tournament on 1 July as a free agent but will instead be available from the beginning. This means he will be available to play Al-Hilal, Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg in the group stages.
While Alexander-Arnold is unlikely to make the difference at this point of the competition, having an additional three games to bed in to the defence may be seen as potentially difference-making when it comes to the sharp end of the tournament.
And the Club World Cup is precious for Real Madrid on a financial basis. It has been billed as ‘the biggest-ever prize money for a football tournament’, with the winners scooping a potential €110m. Beyond that, there will be commercial spin-offs for the Spaniards to potentially exploit.
Xabi Alonso’s side, meanwhile, is not blessed with quality in the right-back position currently. Lucas Vazquez and Fede Valverde are their two options in that area, so the addition of Trent represents a significant upgrade.
Real Madrid are essentially gambling that by signing Trent early, he can become decisive to their success at the Club World Cup. Given the riches on offer, the Bernabeu side are not playing with big stakes while this money comes as a welcome bonus to Liverpool.
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