Liverpool have reportedly announced Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave the club following the expiration of his contract at the end of the season with Real Madrid believed to be his next destination.
According to Team Talk, Alexander-Arnold has verbally accepted to terms with Madrid, ending his one-club affiliation with Liverpool and connecting him with Jude Bellingham, his England teammate.
However, the 26-year-old will be joining Madrid as a free agent, whereas Bellingham was a high-profile acquisition for the Spanish sidein 2023.
Although it’s a clever move on the part of Los Blancos, they’ve previously employed a similar tactic.
See Also: Liverpool Told To Sign 171-Goal Premier League Striker As An Alternative to Alexander Isak
Naturally, the Spanish giants have a history of acquiring the top players available and typically pay a high, frequently record-breaking premium for the privilege.
But, here are a few of their well-known Bosman acquisitions over the years.
Steve McManaman
In January 1999, when his Liverpool contract was coming to an end, Steve McManaman signed a pre-agreement to join Real Madrid the following summer.
With 66 goals in 364 games for the Reds, the curly-haired England winger was one of the most exciting attackers in the Premier League’s early years.
The £60,000-a-week wage McManaman would receive in Spain, which at the time was unsurpassed in English football, was the main focus of media headlines when he agreed to join Madrid. The departing Liverpool star was accused of being greedy.
David Alaba
David Alaba, who spent 13 years at Bayern Munich after being signed from Austria Wien as a teenager, became one of the world’s best and versatile defenders.
One of the most accomplished defenders in the game was snatched by Madrid from a club where he had won two Champions Leagues, six German Cups, ten Bundesliga crowns, and two World Club Cups.
Antonio Rudiger
Antonio Rudiger arrived at the Bernabeu in the summer of 2022 as a free agent after spending five seasons with Chelsea and winning the Champions League and Europa League titles.
With another Champions League victory last season and his first league winner’s medal of his career, he has further enhanced his resume.
Kylian Mbappe
Real Madrid agreed a huge deal for Mbappe in 2024, a move that had been rumored for months or possibly years.
The biggest move of the year rarely occurs without an enormous sum being paid between clubs in the mega-spending world of modern football, but that was the case last year.
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