Trent Alexander-Arnold has opened up on why he decided to leave his boyhood club Liverpool in favour of Real Madrid.
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This past off-season, the attacking fullback made the controversial decision to swap Anfield for the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 26-year-old rose through Liverpool’s academy ranks to become one of the club’s most important players. However, after his contract expired at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, he opted against signing a renewal.
He subsequently agreed to join Los Blancos, though while he was initially expected to arrive as a free agent, Real Madrid ended up paying €10 million (R207 million) to secure his services early ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup — a move that further fuelled tension around the transfer.
Although Alexander-Arnold impressed at the tournament, Dani Carvajal’s return from injury has left him battling for minutes in LaLiga. That competition has seemingly also cost him his spot in the latest England squad selected by Thomas Tuchel.
Despite the challenges, the defender insists he made the right call in moving to Spain.
“It was one of the hardest decisions of my life. Liverpool is my home; it made me who I am. But Madrid felt like the right step, at the right time,” he told GQ Spain.
“It was ambition and a personal desire for change. To challenge myself in a new environment. Of course, Real Madrid’s legacy is undeniable. But more than that, what attracted me was my ambition and the desire to test myself in new surroundings.
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“It’s a challenge, but one I welcome. Playing at the Bernabeu is sacred. You can feel the weight of the shirt, but that’s what drives you to give it your all.”
