
Alexander-Arnold confirms Liverpool exit
Alexander-Arnold is out of contract at the end of June and the England right-back's future had been the subject of intense debate throughout Liverpool's charge to the Premier League title this season.
"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," the 26-year-old posted on X.
"This is easily the hardest decision I've ever made in my life." Alexander-Arnold's contract talks over a free transfer switch to Real are reported to be at an advanced stage.
He will depart as a Premier League champion after the Reds moved level with rivals Manchester United on a joint-record 20 English top-flight titles.
"I know many of you have wondered why or been frustrated that I haven't spoken about this yet, but it was always my intention to keep my full focus on the team's best interests, which was securing No 20," Alexander-Arnold said. "This club has been my whole life — my whole world — for 20 years. From the academy right through until now, the support and love I have felt from everyone inside and outside of the club will stay with me forever. "I will forever be in debt to you all. My love for this club will never die."
Liverpool-born Alexander-Arnold was one of three high-profile Reds players whose deals were due to run out at the end of the season — a contract saga that provided a continuous backdrop to Arne Slot's first campaign in charge. Top-scorer Mohamed Salah and captain Virgil van Dijk signed new deals in recent weeks but Alexander-Arnold has opted to leave.
The defender made his senior debut in 2016 and has made 352 appearances for the Reds to date, scoring 23 goals and lifting multiple trophies including the 2019 Champions League and two Premier League crowns.
GRATITUDE
Liverpool were reportedly willing to make Alexander-Arnold one of the highest-paid defenders in Premier League history in a bid to keep him.
But the lure of playing for Real alongside close friend and England team-mate Jude Bellingham proved impossible to resist.
Despite the snub, Liverpool paid tribute to Alexander-Arnold, who joined the club as a six-year-old.
"Alexander-Arnold will depart with our gratitude and appreciation for his contribution during a sustained period of success," the club said in a statement.
In the same statement, Alexander-Arnold said he had "loved every single minute of it, achieved all my dreams".
But he said he wanted a fresh challenge. "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," he said. Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, another Merseysider who graduated from the club's youth academy, was the first Reds player to react to the news on social media.
"Thank you for everything brother. Legend. Good luck," he wrote on Instagram. But Alexander-Arnold's mooted move to Real has split Liverpool fans and pundits, with some believing he should have stayed to become a one-club legend. Michael Owen and Steve McManaman both endured difficult relationships with Liverpool supporters after leaving for Madrid in 2004 and 1999, respectively.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher fears Alexander-Arnold faces a similar fate.
"By leaving Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold is making it harder for his own club to win its 21st league title and seventh European Cup. That is bound to stir emotions," Carragher said. — AFP
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Times of Oman
3 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota dies in road accident
MADRID - Liverpool and Portugal striker Diogo Jota, 28, has died in a car accident on Thursday. Multiple media reports suggest the star footballer and his brother were involved in an accident in the city of Zamora in northwestern Spain. 'Two young people die in an accident on the A-52 (Palacios de Sanabria). The Rionegro del Puente Fire Station (Northern Zone of the @DiputacionZA Consortium) responds,' Zamora's Provincial Council said in a statement, according to a report in Marca—a Spanish daily sports newspaper. Further details are awaited as the football world reacts with shock and grief.


Observer
19 hours ago
- Observer
Liverpool defender Quansah signs for Bayer Leverkusen
MUNICH, Germany: Centre-half Jarell Quansah has joined Bayer Leverkusen from Premier League champions Liverpool for a reported club record fee, the Bundesliga side announced on Wednesday. According to British and German press, the transfer fee for the 22-year-old could go up to 40 million euros ($47 million), including 10 million euros in add-ons. German specialist media Kicker and The Athletic also reported the inclusion of a 60-million-euros buy-back clause in the contract, which Liverpool could activate from summer 2027 to re-sign Quansah. "We are very happy to be able to sign Jarell Quansah, one of the most promising English central defenders," said Leverkusen managing director of sport Simon Rolfes. "He made a very impressive contribution to a Liverpool defence full of world-class players. Jarell will give our defence extra dynamism, tempo and strength." Quansah becomes the most expensive signing in Leverkusen's history, following on from the previous record arrival of midfielder Kerem Demirbay for 32 million euros in 2019. The 2025 European under-21 champion with England joined Liverpool's academy as a five-year-old, and rose through the ranks before making his first-team debut in 2023. He went on to appear 58 times for the Merseysiders, winning the League Cup in 2022 and 2024, as well as the Premier League title last season. After playing second fiddle to first-choice defensive duo Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate for much of the 2024/25 campaign, Quansah arrives at Leverkusen to replace departed former captain Jonathan Tah at the heart of the Bundesliga club's defence. "The ambitious targets here were clearly explained to me during the negotiations. It's a great role and challenge for me to be part of the current Leverkusen rebuild," said Quansah. After creating league history by winning the Bundesliga undefeated in 2024, Leverkusen endured a difficult title defence last term, finishing 13 points adrift of winners Bayern Munich. Stars of their league-and-cup double from two seasons years ago, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, have recently gone in the opposite direction from Quansah, joining Liverpool from Leverkusen this close-season.— AFP


Observer
19 hours ago
- Observer
Real Madrid, Dortmund into CWC quarters
ATLANTA: Spanish giants Real Madrid beat Juventus 1-0 on Tuesday to set up a Club World Cup quarterfinal clash against Borussia Dortmund, who edged Mexican side Monterrey. Serhou Guirassy struck twice for the German outfit as they scraped past Sergio Ramos's side 2-1 in a tight last-16 clash in Atlanta and denied the former Real Madrid skipper a match-up against his former team. Youngster Gonzalo Garcia headed home his third goal of the tournament to help Madrid edge Italian side Juventus at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami earlier. It was an impressive display from Xabi Alonso's Madrid side, unbeaten under the new coach, and they were further boosted by Kylian Mbappe's return from illness as a substitute. "We had a lot of chances in the second half, but their goalkeeper was really good," said Madrid shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois. The first half was a finely-balanced contest with Igor Tudor's Juventus starting brightly before Real ended it on top. Los Blancos kept turning the screw and found their goal when Trent Alexander-Arnold crossed for Gonzalo to head home after 54 minutes. Alonso decided to introduce Mbappe to the delight of the 62,149 crowd but the striker did not find any clear openings as Juve pushed for an equaliser. Madrid's coach was pleased with his team's performance, including that of Gonzalo — who he had compared to former Real great Raul — but also suggested that Mbappe might be ready for a bigger contribution in the next game. "We will keep watching him... I think he will be much better for the quarters," Alonso said. Alonso added that he was satisfied to see Real produce the necessary grit to grind out the result in the second half. "We had to be patient, we had to mature into the game," said the coach. "With the players and myself, you know you have to grit your teeth and do what you have to do. And in the end, we had to hold on a bit, and I'm happy about that too." Juve boss Tudor said his team became exhausted as the game developed. "In the end there were 10 of them asking to be substituted. Obviously you can't do that but there was an incredible tiredness," he said, offering his reasons. "There is the tension of the game which burns energy but then there is the heat and humidity," explained Tudor, also noting they were at the end of a long season. DORTMUND DENY RAMOS In Atlanta, Guirassy's brace was enough to help Dortmund past Monterrey in a hard-fought clash, setting them up to play a Madrid side who beat them in the 2024 Champions League final. "Real has a great team, they have many good individual players," Dortmund coach Niko Kovac told reporters. "If we put everything on the pitch, (giving) the same performance as we saw today, I think that we will have a good chance." Guirassy netted a first-half double but German Berterame pulled one back for the Mexican side who came close to an equaliser when a late Ramos header span just wide. "I think I could have scored at least three goals but I am happy to have helped the team win," Guirassy told broadcaster DAZN. After grinding through several games in the blazing afternoon sun during the group stage, Dortmund were grateful to be at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium and played at a faster pace in Atlanta. Karim Adeyemi set up both of Guirassy's goals as the Guinea international reached 37 for the season across all competitions. A booking for Jobe Bellingham means he will be suspended for the clash against his brother Jude's Real Madrid side. However Dortmund almost missed out entirely as Monterrey hit back in the second half, but after Berterame headed home to reduce the gap, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made several good saves to keep them at bay. Ramos, sent up front for the final stages, put a header agonisingly wide in stoppage time as he tried to deliver on his penchant for late, decisive moments, like in Madrid's 2014 Champions League final triumph. "The crowd and our fans and the people who understand about football, they saw that the team gave everything," Ramos told DAZN, proud of his side's efforts. — AFP