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The previous year, with the player's mind genuinely uncertain at the time, there had been hope that an agreement could be found over a new deal that would have made him one of the highest paid in club history.

But as the months rolled on without a resolution, an acceptance started to gradually develop that Real Madrid, as they so often tend to, would eventually get their man.

This, after all, is the club who snared Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain; the team who lured Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United; and the European giant who, 25 years ago, convinced Luis Figo to complete one of the most controversial transfers of all time when he jumped ship from loathed rivals Barcelona.



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It was in March of 2024 when the prospect of a move to Real Madrid as a free agent started to become a real consideration by those outside of Alexander-Arnold's inner circle.

April 28, 2025

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As the campaign wore on and as the issue became more pertinent, there became an increasingly orchestrated attempt to ensure the player himself did not find himself in any position where uncomfortable questions would be asked.

A charity gala evening where Alexander-Arnold was up to do a Q&A was agreed upon under the provision there would be no questions about the contract, while reporters who work for Premier League rights holders were told interviews could be cut short if the subject was broached.

The player himself, meanwhile, became conspicuous only by his absence in post-match mixed zones, particularly at Anfield where it is easier to dodge the assembled media than at some other grounds.

Those faint alarm bells of September started to clang louder the following month when Alexander-Arnold revealed he would rather win the Ballon d'Or when given the choice between football's most prestigious individual award and lifting another Champions League with Liverpool, captaining the Reds and picking up silverware with England.

"I just want that legacy of being recongised as the best right-back to ever play football, if I am honest," he told Sky Sports' Harriet Prior.

"I know there have been many (great right-backs) out there but, you know, I've got reach for the stars."

The decision to seemingly 'snub' two honours as a Liverpool player in the choices given was not greatly received by Reds fans at the time.

Asked to explain a celebration at West Ham United, where he appeared to make reference to the chatter around his future in late December, Alexander-Arnold could only offer a scoff and bow his head as he continued towards the team bus.

It was a response that offered no clarity on the situation as Real Madrid prepared to make their first real move ahead of the January transfer window opening.

The La Liga club's advance on New Year's Eve never came as far as an official offer but it was a signal of intent for the early months of 2025.

Many, though, understood the more general point.

Of all the glitz and the glamour of Real Madrid and the sporting, cultural and geographical benefits of a move to a Spanish capital to play for the 15-time champions of Europe, there is a rarely spoken element of the intensity of the media when you are a footballer as high profile as Liverpool's No.66, and that might have had a knock-on effect in his decision to up sticks.

In October 2023, on the morning of the Merseyside derby at Anfield, the ECHO was made aware of a car accident involving Alexander-Arnold on a Cheshire road that was eventually packaged by The S** newspaper as the Reds star having 'cheated death'.

Checks with those who had more knowledge of the situation and the incident itself, revealed a much more minor accident to be the reality and given the origin of the reports, it was collectively decided against running a story on the ECHO's pages.

The ECHO was also made aware of stories involving Sunday newspapers and allegations around the love life of Alexander-Arnold, which eventually never made it to print after high-level talks with Liverpool officials.

For a young man simply attempting to make the most from his talent, it must have felt exhausting.

For an uber-focused vice captain of Liverpool - a boyhood fan, no less - it could be fairly argued that the goldfish bowl became too intense and while the interest and focus on the fortunes of Real Madrid players is equally as incessant in Spain, the opportunity to escape the pressures of being the home-made superstar may have appealed.

A few weeks into being given the vice captaincy by Jurgen Klopp, Alexander-Arnold had privately insisted that dreams of Real Madrid or Barcelona was not something he had grown up thinking about and that his main focus was always around ensuring Liverpool were in a strong position at the business end of campaigns to push for the biggest trophies in football, year in and year out.

Somewhere along the way, that stance softened and the allure of Madrid has become too intoxicating to ignore.

Alexander-Arnold's representatives were the first Richard Hughes reached out to when he accepted the job as sporting director last year.

Despite offers to make the defender one of the best paid full-backs in world football, his mind was made up.

Liverpool were insistent in March that Real Madrid, as they are obliged to, had not informed them they had struck an agreement with the player but Alexander-Arnold eventually told Slot in face-to-face talks that month before it was decided that the news would be made public whenever the Premier League title had been confirmed.

The ECHO was informed in mid-March that a social media video was in the pipeline to declare the decision to leave on his own terms and that eventually dropped on Bank Holiday Monday at 10am, with the No.66 determined to stick to his own exit strategy.

"This is easily the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life," Alexander-Arnold said.
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