Remarkable way Trent Alexander-Arnold learned about Real Madrid transfer from Liverpool revealed

Trent Alexander-Arnold was "surprised" to discover that Real Madrid had forked out £10million to prematurely end his Liverpool contract to enable him to play at the FIFA Club World Cup - learning they had done so as the Reds celebrated their Premier League title triumph.

The England right-back was already set to depart on a free transfer to Madrid, a move that sparked outrage among many Reds supporters, upset that a homegrown talent and one of their most valuable assets was leaving the club for nothing.

And during the club's end-of-season open-top bus parade as they celebrated their Premier League title win, Fenway Sports Group's football chief executive Michael Edwards informed Alexander-Arnold that Madrid had made their move. As first reported by The Telegraph, Edwards, Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, and FSG president Mike Gordon broke the news to Alexander-Arnold that his switch to the Bernabeu was being brought forward by a month.

The Spanish giants had already secured Alexander-Arnold's signature for when his Liverpool contract ended, but were eager to bring him in for the Club World Cup, which kicked off in June - before his contract was up. The £10million expenditure was significant, but with almost £100m in prize money for the tournament winner, Los Blancos decided it was a cost worth paying.

In the end, Madrid only made it to the semifinals, but at least Liverpool received some compensation for Alexander-Arnold, who they had nurtured since he joined the academy at the tender age of six.

Liverpool secured the services of Dutch international Jeremie Frimpong just days later, signing him from Bayer Leverkusen to be Alexander-Arnold's replacement, kickstarting a record-breaking summer transfer splurge - that culminated with the £125m deadline day signing of Alexander Isak from Newcastle United.

Like Liverpool fans with Alexander-Arnold, Newcastle supporters were left furious with Isak's antics before his exit. However, former Liverpool icon Dietmar Hamann reckons the circumstances surrounding their respective exits cannot be compared.

"I don't think you can compare Alexander Isak to Trent Alexander-Arnold because Trent didn't do anything wrong," Hamann told CoinPoker. "If Liverpool wanted to keep him, they could have offered him an improved contract a year earlier, and he probably would have signed it.

"The fact that they didn't, and he let his contract run out, means he's free to go where he wants."

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