Although his contract was due to expire at the end of June, Real Madrid opted to pay Liverpool a £10 million fee to ensure Alexander-Arnold could be registered in time for the newly formatted Club World Cup, which kicks off this Sunday.
Just two weeks after the transfer was confirmed, the defender will be formally unveiled as a Real Madrid player during a presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu on Thursday.
As Alexander-Arnold arrived for the event, crowds of Real Madrid supporters gathered outside, welcoming him with cheers and debuting a brand-new chant in honor of their high-profile signing.
It’s fair to say Liverpool fans are less than impressed with the welcome chant Real Madrid fans prepared for Alexander-Arnold, suggesting his awkward reaction hints at early regrets over his move to Spain.
The 26-year-old was greeted by a group of Madrid supporters chanting “Arnold!” and clapping as he arrived to meet club officials outside a medical centre in the Spanish capital. The moment, captured on video, came just a day after news broke that Alexander-Arnold would no longer wear his iconic number 66 jersey, instead switching to number 12 due to La Liga’s numbering regulations, which restrict squad numbers to between 1 and 25.
In a surprising personal shift, the defender has also opted to feature his first name “Trent” on the back of his shirt going forward—ditching his surname entirely in what many see as a rebranding effort.
However, Liverpool supporters believe Madrid fans chanting “Arnold”—ignoring the new name choice—could frustrate the Englishman.
One fan on X joked with a laughing emoji: “Shouting ‘Arnold!’ after he’s just rebranded everything to ‘Trent.’”
Another claimed: “‘Arnold’ chants yeah man I know he’s regretting everything already.”
A third added: “He used to have so much aura, wtf happened.”
Alexander-Arnold becomes the second player presented by Real Madrid this summer, following former Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen, unveiled on June 10 as part of Xabi Alonso’s first wave of signings.
While the exact timing of Trent’s debut remains uncertain, it’s expected he could make his first appearance as soon as June 18, when Madrid face Al Hilal in the Club World Cup.
