How Liverpool tried to convince Alexander-Arnold to stay – and why he said no ...Middle East

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s desire to leave Liverpool did not stop the club trying to put his Real Madrid dreams on hold.

The 26-year-old announced he will leave Liverpool when his contract expires at the end of the season.

His social media post on Monday detailed how difficult a decision it was to depart his boyhood team, but explained that he is ready for a new challenge.

While he did not announce where his next destination will be, The i Paper understands Alexander-Arnold will sign a six-year deal with Madrid in the coming weeks.

After 20 years at Liverpool Football Club, now is the time for me to confirm that I will be leaving at the end of the season.

This is easily the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life.

I know many of you have wondered why or been frustrated that I haven’t spoken about this… pic.twitter.com/emAw5RvXq0

— Trent Alexander-Arnold (@TrentAA) May 5, 2025

It has been clear for the best part of a year that Real’s interest and the overtures from close friend Jude Bellingham were proving too hard to ignore for Alexander-Arnold, despite his love for the club he joined aged six.

Yet The i Paper has been told throughout the process that sporting director Richard Hughes and the club’s hierarchy continued to make proposals they believed would tempt him to stay.

Along with securing new deals for the club’s two other marquee names – Mohamed Salah and skipper Virgil van Dijk – Hughes initiated contact with Alexander-Arnold’s representatives before officially joining the club, such was the importance of tying the academy product down.

Further contact with Alexander-Arnold’s representatives was one of the first tasks Hughes undertook after accepting the role, with formal negotiations opening afterwards once the appointment of Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp’s successor had been confirmed. That contact remained persistent and ongoing, just as it did with Salah and Van Dijk’s respective advisors.

It is understood that negotiations never soured any relationships between agent, player and club, despite it eventually becoming apparent that a new agreement was not attainable. This is despite an offer that would have made Alexander-Arnold the best paid full back in the Premier League and one of the best paid full-backs in world football being put on the table, ready for him to sign at any point.

Why Alexander-Arnold said no

The final meeting between Hughes and his representatives took place earlier this spring and it was clear that the player’s decision to leave at the end of his contract was final. The i Paper understands it was at this point that Alexander-Arnold informed Slot of his decision.

Liverpool’s position did not waver despite the possibility of losing him on a free transfer at the end of his contract due to their collective desire to maximise their chances of success this season. As a result, an approach from a rival club was rejected during the last transfer window, giving Slot the best possible squad to secure the 20th top-flight title.

As Liverpool closed in on what has been a comfortable title win, Alexander-Arnold’s mind became further made up, after winning the only major honour that has eluded him during his time in England – a Premier League crown in front of fans, after the previous triumph took place during Covid times.

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At 26, Alexander-Arnold was not for turning, with his representatives content with how the full-back, who could well fulfil a midfield role at Madrid, handled himself throughout negotiations.

He purposely stayed tight-lipped throughout the process so Liverpool could concentrate on that title push, speaking publicly about his future for the first time directly after scoring the goal that pretty much secured a top-of-the-table finish at Leicester late last month.

Behind the scenes, everyone knew what was going to happen for a long time. Everyone at the club, however, feels they can leave the negotiations believing they did all they can to convince Alexander-Arnold to stay.

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