Real reason Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving Liverpool to join Real Madrid this summer

Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed that he will be making an emotional exit from Liverpool at the end of the season and it has now been revealed why he is choosing to leave

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s appetite to test himself outside of the Premier League has driven his decision to quit Liverpool. The England right-back has officially confirmed that he will be leaving Anfield at the end of his contract.

It comes after Alexander-Arnold’s contract has been allowed to wind down – and he is widely expected to join Spanish giants Real Madrid on a free transfer. And it is that chance that has ultimately led to him deciding to bring his glittering Liverpool career to an end.

Mirror Football understands that Alexander-Arnold was happy at Liverpool and there were talks held over an extended stay. Sporting director Richard Hughes made a new deal one of his priorities when he arrived at the club last summer.

The club had already made contact with Alexander-Arnold, with Liverpool willing to make him the best paid right-back in the Premier League. Talks were understood to be constructive with an offer on the table to the player.

But in the end, the chance of a fresh challenge abroad was too good for the England star to turn down, something he has made clear in his announcement to Liverpool fans. Taking to social media, he said: “I think the decision for me is personal.

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“To change environment, to challenge myself elsewhere. It’s not about wanting to find something better, it’s about me and my personal journey as a player and I think now is the right time for me to go and experience that. People won’t be happy with the decision but it’s something that I feel like I need to do on my journey and my career. “

Alexander-Arnold doubled down on that claim in an interview with Liverpool’s official website. Asked if he could have stayed with the club, he replied: “One hundred per cent, a massive possibility.

“I’ve got full confidence in the manager and the staff and the club going forward. It’s not about me thinking we’re not going to fight for titles or fight for trophies season in, season out because I knew from the first few moments with the manager that he was a winner, he was aiming to go and win things.

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“And you’ve seen that this season with the way that we’ve played. So it was never about not having confidence in that, it just boiled down to what I felt I needed, and that is a change.

“That’s something I need to do on my personal journey as a person, but also as a player and a professional, to go and challenge myself elsewhere. I feel like a challenge in a different environment is something I need to do as a player.”

Alexander-Arnold informed boss Arne Slot a few weeks ago that his future lay away from Liverpool. Real Madrid are expected to confirm his arrival imminently after seeing a bid turned down in the January transfer window.

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