Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to join Real Madrid, with the Liverpool defender’s contract due to expire this summer.

The 26-year-old England international has been rumoured with a move to Los Blancos for quite some tine, with news breaking this week that Madrid are close to an agreement with Alexander-Arnold heading into the transfer window.

Having signed the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Antonio Rudiger for free in recent years, Alexander-Arnold is set to become the latest superstar player to be snapped up by Madrid for free, a practice that the Spanish giants have now mastered.

However, Liverpool could end up recruiting a small transfer fee for Alexander-Arnold due to a small quirk in this summer’s window.

'I still think Trent Alexander-Arnold could stay at Liverpool - but I understand Real Madrid appeal'	Trent Alexander-Arnold explained how Arne Slot changed his Liverpool role amid Real Madrid links	'I still think Trent Alexander-Arnold could stay at Liverpool on one condition'

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Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts – CameraSport/CameraSport via Getty Images

This summer sees Madrid compete in the revamped FIFA Club World Cup, with clubs taking part in the competition being given special leeway by FIFA to make deals before the transfer window actually opens for the rest of the world.

And as reported by the Mirror, players who are out on contract on June 30th can still join new teams even with the Club World Cup beginning on June 14th, though it would be down to clubs, such as Liverpool, to give the green light for the transfer to go through early.

With Mohamed Salah in a similar situation heading into the summer, Liverpool will be within their right to demand a small transfer fee for Alexander-Arnold with Madrid likely to want the defender through the door before the Club World Cup starts in mid-June.

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And although Liverpool will only recoup a small fee for Alexander-Arnold, some sort of financial compensation for the defender is better than nothing, especially during a summer where so much work needs to be done to the squad.

Alexander-Arnold has been one of Liverpool’s best players since breaking through into the first-team as a teenager and redefining the fullback position, with the defender set to go down as a Premier League legend due to his achievements with the Reds.

Yet for Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold’s entire situation will serve as a big lesson for the Merseyside giants, who simply can’t allow another situation like this to unfold to another one of their star players going into future transfer windows.

With Salah and Virgil van Dijk also creeping towards free agency, this entire transfer nightmare is one that will stick with Liverpool, and the right lessons need to be taken onboard going into the future, where losing another Alexander-Arnold will be simply unacceptable.