Real Madrid are close to striking an agreement with Liverpool to sign right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in time for this summer’s Club World Cup, a report has revealed.
Alexander-Arnold will leave Liverpool on a free transfer and is currently expected to join the Spanish side after his contract expires on 30 June, but Madrid want their new signing to be part of their squad for this summer’s Club World Cup, which kicks off on 16 days earlier on 14 June.
For this to be possible, Madrid would need to reach an agreement with Liverpool, who are not in the Club World Cup, to release Alexander-Arnold during a temporary transfer window set up for the first ten days of June.
According to ESPN, Liverpool are demanding a fee of €1m (£840,000) to sell Alexander-Arnold once the Premier League season comes to a close.
It is claimed an agreement between the two sides is close and Madrid are confident of bringing Alexander-Arnold to the tournament alongside soon-to-be new manager Xabi Alonso.
Sky Sports News state, however, that Madrid are yet to make a formal offer to Liverpool after making contact last week to explore an early move for the England right-back.
Madrid plan to take the Club World Cup incredibly seriously. They dream of becoming the first winners of this new-look competition but are also desperate to get their hands on a prize pot which is thought to be worth as much as €150m (£126.1m).
If they cannot land Alexander-Arnold’s signature early, Madrid will still be able to register the right-back for the knockout stages of the competition if they qualify. The Club World Cup will feature a second registration window after the groups come to a close, at which point Alexander-Arnold could be added to the squad following his arrival on 1 July.
