After two decades at Anfield, the England defender says goodbye, with Real Madrid set to seal a blockbuster free signing.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed he will leave Liverpool this summer, ending a 20-year journey from academy prodigy to first-team icon. In a heartfelt message to fans, the England international revealed that he has a verbal agreement to join Real Madrid after deciding it’s time for a new challenge.

“This is easily the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life,” the 26-year-old posted on social media, breaking his silence after months of speculation. Though no contract has yet been signed with Real Madrid, Sky Sports News understands that advanced negotiations are already in place with the 15-time European champions.

Alexander-Arnold’s exit marks the end of a glittering Anfield era. Since making his senior debut in 2016, he has amassed 352 appearances for the Reds, helping them lift the Champions League, two Premier League titles — including this season’s — and a string of other major honours.

His legacy is already cemented: a player who revolutionised the right-back role with his playmaking, vision, and set-piece brilliance. Yet, in a candid interview with LFC TV, Alexander-Arnold admitted he felt a personal and professional need to move on.

“One hundred per cent, [staying] was a massive possibility,” he said, expressing confidence in the club’s direction under new head coach Arne Slot. “But it just boiled down to what I felt I needed — and that is a change.”

Liverpool tried everything to keep their homegrown star. New sporting director Richard Hughes made Alexander-Arnold’s contract extension a priority even before officially taking up his role. He and club officials presented an offer that would’ve made Trent the highest-paid full-back in world football.

Despite this, Liverpool came to accept that his heart was already in Madrid. Real had even made a bid in the January window, which Liverpool rejected. But a final meeting in spring confirmed the player’s intent to leave. He told Slot and the club that, after two decades, he was ready to say goodbye.

Alexander-Arnold’s farewell post on X (formerly Twitter) paid tribute to everyone who shaped his journey: “This club has been my whole life – my whole world – for 20 years,” he wrote. “But I have never known anything else, and this decision is about experiencing a new challenge.”

He added: “I’ve given my all every single day I’ve been at this club… I’ve been blessed enough to live out my dreams here and I will never, ever take for granted the special moments I’ve been fortunate enough to have lived through with you all.”

The move, set to be finalised once his contract expires, comes at a time when Real Madrid are quietly rebuilding another era of Galácticos. With Kylian Mbappé expected to join this summer, and Jude Bellingham already dazzling in midfield, Alexander-Arnold’s arrival would strengthen their right side while handing them a player entering his peak.

For Liverpool, it’s a bitter pill. They extended the contracts of both Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, but Alexander-Arnold’s departure — on a free — underscores the emotional and strategic cost of modern football. Replacing his unique skill set and leadership will be no easy task.

As the final whistle approaches on his Liverpool career, Trent Alexander-Arnold leaves not with a bang, but with a bow — and the enduring love of the Kop.