Real Madrid’s desperation to sign Liverpool right back Trent Alexander-Arnold in time for the Club World Cup could reportedly see them part with £10 million ($13.5 million) to bring his arrival forward.
Alexander-Arnold will leave Liverpool this summer when his contract expires on June 30, with an agreement to join Real Madrid already wrapped up but not yet formally announced.
The 15-time Champions League winners want the versatile England international to join in time for the Club World Cup, which begins on June 14. A 10-day transfer window will be open before the tournament but Los Blancos will have to agree a fee with Liverpool to release Alexander-Arnold early.
Initial reports claimed Real Madrid could pay around £1 million ($1.4 million) to get a deal done early, but The Guardian report they could end up parting with as much as £10 million.
The Times expect negotiations between the two clubs to ramp up over the coming days and there is even a suggestion that a deal could be agreed in the coming hours.
Central to Real Madrid’s wish to sign Alexander-Arnold early is a strong desire to become the first winners of this new-look Club World Cup. Not only does that come with obvious prestige, but the finances on offer to teams involved in the tournament dwarf the £10 million it could cost to recruit Alexander-Arnold.
Real Madrid also want to give new manager Xabi Alonso as much time as possible to get to know his new squad as he seeks to immediately reverse the struggles suffered under former boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Liverpool, for their part, are under no obligation to appease Real Madrid and it was recently claimed the Reds could even try to block an early move for Alexander-Arnold amid concerns they are already trying to lure another player, center back Ibrahima Konaté, over to the Santiago Bernabéu as well.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid ‘Ready’ to Pay Big for Trent Alexander-Arnold, One Key Reason.