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Trent Alexander-Arnold has officially joined Real Madrid(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images/Getty Images For The Premier League)

Gary Neville has been left red-faced after Real Madrid did the unexpected and agreed to pay Liverpool a cool £10million to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold one month early.

Alexander-Arnold, 26, has officially joined Real on a five-year contract, having entered the final six weeks of his deal with boyhood club Liverpool.

If Los Blancos wanted to sign Alexander-Arnold on a free, they'd have had to wait until after June 30.



That'd make the England international ineligible to play for them at the upcoming Club World Cup in the USA.

Real have therefore shelled out £10m - an £8.4m fee plus his remaining wages - in exchange for Liverpool letting him go early.

It's safe to say that Neville never saw it coming.

During a conversation on Sky Sports earlier this month, Jamie Carragher suggested that the 15-time European champions should pay £5-10m if they wanted Alexander-Arnold in time for the Club World Cup.

Carragher began by saying: "You're announcing it [Alexander-Arnold leaving] now to give Real Madrid the opportunity to maybe sign you for the Club World Cup, so that's what I was talking about a couple of weeks ago."

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In response, Neville asked: "Would you take like a million quid if you were Liverpool for the Club World Cup?" Carragher replied: "Er, I think I'd want more than a million quid."

Neville wanted an answer, though.

Carragher fleshed out his argument by explaining: "Right, well, but if they're going to win a hundred million and he's going to help them, because don't forget, they haven't got any right-backs.

Were Real Madrid right to pay £10million for Trent Alexander-Arnold?

Give us 10 million quid."

Neville concluded the chat by saying: "Well, the price has just been set, Madrid," as the trio, plus Micah Richards, laughed.

Real were ultimately happy to pay the price in order to make sure that Alexander-Arnold will be part of Xabi Alonso's squad for the tournament.