Real Madrid, which has changed to the management system of coach Xabi Alonso (44), is continuing negotiations with Liverpool for the early transfer of Trent Alexander-Arnold (27).
The British newspaper The Times reported on the 30th (Korean time) that "Real Madrid wants to acquire Alexander-Arnold before his contract officially ends on June 30, and there is a possibility that the transfer could be concluded within 24 hours."
Alexander-Arnold is a product of Liverpool's youth academy. However, with his contract expiring this summer, he has decided to part ways with the team. Liverpool officially announced their separation from Arnold, and Arnold also left a farewell message on social media. Arnold's next destination is Real.
The problem is that Arnold's contract with Liverpool is until June 30. Real, which will compete in the FIFA Club World Cup starting in mid-June, has set up negotiations with Liverpool to bring Arnold on board as soon as possible.
Real, which will have Alonso as the new coach starting June 1 to replace Carlo Ancelotti, who took charge of the Brazil national team, wants to have Arnold participate from the first match against Al Hilal in Miami on June 19 for the Club World Cup.
FIFA has created a special provision allowing transfers from June 1 to 10 for this Club World Cup. While most contracts are set to expire on June 30, this time is an exception.
Real wants to finalize the contract before Arnold joins the England national team. England will play World Cup qualifiers against Andorra on June 8 and a friendly against Senegal on June 11.
Real attempted to acquire Arnold in the winter transfer market last January. However, negotiations did not materialize as Liverpool hesitated due to the fierce competition for the Premier League title. At that time, Real reportedly offered a transfer fee of £20 million (approximately 37.1 billion won).
However, Liverpool is determined not to allow an early transfer without a transfer fee. Arnold can leave the team as a free agent after his contract expiration, but Real wants Arnold before the Club World Cup.
Real will start the Alonso regime from June 1. Alonso has signed a three-year contract until 2028. Real has already acquired Bournemouth defender Dean Heuvalsen (20) for a buyout of £50 million (approximately 92.7 billion won).
Liverpool is also Alonso's former team. After Alonso led Bayer Leverkusen to victory in the summer of 2024, both Bayern Munich and Liverpool have expressed interest.
However, Alonso rejected the requests from both of his former teams and decided to remain at Leverkusen. Ultimately, Alonso's choice at that time is seen as a consideration for the Real coaching position.
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