Trent Alexander-Arnold said he would “only ever leave Liverpool for Real Madrid” in his presentation on Thursday, as well as praising new coach Xabi Alonso as his “big idol” and denying that Jude Bellingham played a major part in his decision.
The England international has signed a six-year contract at Madrid, joining them ahead of the Club World Cup, after opting not to extend his deal at Anfield.
After undergoing a medical, and posing for photos with his new No. 12 shirt on Thursday, Alexander-Arnold impressed his audience with a brief speech in Spanish in his presentation at Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground, and later took questions — in English — from journalists in a news conference.
“It was never a question of where, it was whether to go or not to go,” Alexander-Arnold said, when asked to explain his thought process on leaving his boyhood club after 20 years.
“I’ve known for a long time, if I was to ever leave Liverpool it would only be to go to Real Madrid. That would be the only club for me.”
The right-back arrives at the Santiago Bernabéu having won the Premier League with Liverpool, and after a disappointing season for Madrid, who failed to land a major trophy.
“Whether you support [Madrid] or not, you have to respect the trophies they’ve won, the history of it,” Alexander-Arnold said.
“I’ve always admired teams that win trophies. I saw this club win three Champions Leagues in a row, and win it before that. A big reason is to be a part of that going forward … We go straight to America, and our mission there is to win that trophy.”
Madrid will now fly to the United States to take part in the Club World Cup, where they will face Al Hilal, Pachuca and RB Salzburg in the group phase after just a few days of training under new coach Xabi Alonso.
“I grew up a Liverpool fan, seeing Istanbul with the manager [Alonso] now, doing amazing things there,” Alexander-Arnold said. “We spoke a little bit. I told him he was a big idol of mine growing up, he impacted my game, seeing him pass the ball gave me the hunger to do that.
“He’s a new manager, but he’s shown how amazing he is. I’ll be soaking up all the information I can.”
Alexander-Arnold said his friendship with Bellingham, who arrived at Madrid in 2023 and won a LaLiga and Champions League double in his first season, had not massively influenced his choice to sign for the club.
“It wasn’t exactly what people thought it was, but we spoke a lot about Liverpool and Madrid,” Alexander-Arnold said.
“You want to know what it’s like, at the national team he’s the only player who knew what it was like to be at Real Madrid. A lot of people think he played a huge part in coming here, but the club speaks for itself.”
“It’s not something you dream of, because it’s almost something out of reach, out of reality for most players,” he added. “It’s only a handful of English players who’ve played for Real Madrid … I’ve played for the biggest team in England, and now the biggest team in Spain.”
Alexander-Arnold said he had been learning Spanish “for a few months” and while he described his unveiling as “a day I’ve been waiting for for a long time,” he later clarified he meant “weeks” rather than months or years.
The right-back — known for his attacking style — was asked if he thought he’d face less criticism of his defending in Spain, compared to the Premier League
“It’s not something I’ve thought about if I’m honest,” he said.
“I do as I’m told by the managers I’ve played under. The two Liverpool managers I’ve had [Jürgen Klopp and Arne Slot] asked different things of me … Whether I am appreciated or not by fans, it doesn’t really bother me, all that matters is I help the team win games, and trophies, and be the best version of me.”
