It has been announced by Liverpool that Trent Alexander-Arnold will depart from the club when his contract concludes next month, opening the possibility for a move to Real Madrid on a free transfer.

The situation has been ongoing throughout the season as Alexander-Arnold approached the end of his contract at Anfield, opting not to sign a new contract, thereby heading towards becoming a free agent.

Alexander-Arnold expressed, “First and foremost, I want to convey that this decision wasn’t made lightly. There has been a lot of contemplation and emotion involved. Having spent the last 20 years here, I have cherished every moment, fulfilled my dreams, and accomplished everything I set out to achieve.”

“Giving everything day in, day out for 20 years, I’ve got to a point now where I feel like I need a new change, a new challenge for me as a player and as a person. And I think now is the right time for me to do that.”

Alexander-Arnold made his Liverpool debut as a teenager in 2016 and recently surpassed 350 appearances for the club. He will leave Anfield, having won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

The 26-year-old has been courted by Real Madrid over several months, with the Spanish giants even making a low-ball January approach following Dani Carvajal’s long-term injury. He is expected to land a pay rise in Madrid, but won’t challenge the club’s highest earners.

As a free agent, Alexander-Arnold would not be able to formally join Madrid until 1 July, which means he would not be able to take part in the upcoming expanded and reformatted FIFA Club World Cup.

However, it has been claimed in Spain that he could still join earlier, during the exceptional transfer window establshed by FIFA. Alexander-Arnold would have to forgo his Liverpool wages for the month of June, while the club could accept a nominal transfer fee.

Liverpool are expected to promote from within, rather than dip into the transfer market for a replacement, placing faith in Conor Bradley.