Alexander-Arnold will be Trent and will wear Marcelo's number: "They think Bellingham played a big role in my decision, but this club needs no introduction."

Bryan Adams sang of the 'Summer of '69' and Trent Alexander-Arnold said goodbye to Liverpool with a party he called 'Summer of '66'. There were tears of farewell as he bid farewell to the club of his life, and there was emotion at the Real Madrid Sports City during his presentation, where he was accompanied by his girlfriend and his entire family. "I still have to pinch myself to realize it's not a dream," the footballer declared.

His first words as a Real Madrid player were spoken, against all odds, in Spanish. "Signing for a club like Real Madrid doesn't happen every day; it's a dream come true. I'm really looking forward to showing my game to the Real Madrid fans. Playing is a huge responsibility, and I'm ready to give it my all. I'm really looking forward to winning lots of titles and developing alongside the best in the world. Hala Madrid!" the Englishman said.

Previously, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez had praised him. The manager thanked the British player, "one of the best full-backs in the world," for choosing Real Madrid over all his suitors. "You could have stayed at any club, but you chose Real Madrid and it's something we'll never forget," the president conceded, adding that he did so because he's confident of "achieving more success in his career." "He's become a legend there and wants to continue making history," the Real Madrid president added.

Contrary to what one might think, Trent wasn't pressured by Bellingham , his friend on the squad, to sign for Real Madrid, although they did discuss it. "People think he played a very important role in me being here, but this club needs no introduction," he revealed. He says he's looking forward to playing alongside players like Mbappé and Vinicius because "he's happy to play with them instead of against them."

Alexander Arnold will no longer be number 66. LaLiga doesn't allow first-team players to wear numbers above 25, and he won't even bear his surname, which is also too long for the club's management. From now on, he will be Trent, a change he recently made on social media. He will wear number 12, one of the few numbers left unused at Real Madrid and worn for many years by a legend like Marcelo . "When I travel around Europe, the name issue is complicated. People call me Alex, Alexander, Trent, so I thought I'd simplify it," he explained.

The English full-back joins the Madrid club on a free transfer, although he had to pay 10 million euros for the English club to release him to compete in the Club World Cup, a tournament in which Florentino Perez has already expressed his commitment to winning it. "I've played for the biggest team in England and now in Spain; in both, you're expected to win titles," he noted. He did so after winning the Premier League in his last season with Liverpool, a team for which he played 354 matches, scoring 23 goals and providing 89 assists.

Early this morning, he successfully passed his medical at the Sanitas La Moraleja Clinic and then headed to the Ciudad Deportiva Sports Center, where dozens of fans were waiting to get the full-back's first autograph as a Real Madrid player. "I've always known that if I were ever going to leave Liverpool, it would be for Real Madrid," he confessed in a press conference.

Later, he met with Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez to sign the contract that will keep him linked to the Whites for the next six years, until June 2031. Pérez took him to the Real Madrid trophy room to pose with what will be his new shirt with the number 12 and Trent on the back. He later repeated the photo with a smile on his face alongside several family members. The president reminded him that he is joining a club with 15 Champions League titles, like the ones in the photo, and also assured him: "At the Bernabéu, you will experience moments that are difficult to understand."