Trent Alexander-Arnold's 'release clause' revealed as Real Madrid aim to win Champions League with Xabi Alonso

Real Madrid have inserted a £840m release clause into Trent Alexander-Arnold's contract following confirmation of his signing from Liverpool, according to reports.

Los Blancos will be able to welcome Alexander-Arnold to their ranks in June, with the right-back eligible to play at the Club World Cup given a fee has been agreed with Liverpool for his transfer.

New head coach Xabi Alonso will likely use the defender on the right side of a back five as a wing-back, and he will be joined in defence by centre-back Dean Huijsen, who was also signed from the Premier League this summer.

Real will hope that the pair can be the face of a new golden era at the Bernabeu, leading the club to success both domestically and in Europe.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Real Madrid have made it practically impossible for any side to pry Alexander-Arnold away given his release clause stands at £840m, with the club keen to have the defender at the heart of their team for years to come.

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Can Alexander-Arnold help Alonso win the Champions League?

While winning the Club World Cup would bring in significant revenue for the Spanish giants, Alonso's time in the capital will ultimately be judged on his success in the Champions League.

Paris Saint-Germain comfortably swept aside Inter Milan in the final of the competition on Saturday, winning 5-0 and dominating proceedings thanks to their youthful core.

If Alonso is to challenge the French side next term, he will have to cover for Alexander-Arnold's weaknesses, with the Englishman having been guilty of defensive lapses at Liverpool.

However, by deploying the same 3-4-3 system that he used at Bayer Leverkusen so successfully, Alonso may be able to limit the amount of work that the defender has to do at the back considering he will be stationed ahead of three centre-halves.

Should Alexander-Arnold be given a degree of freedom from defensive responsibilities, it would not be surprising if he was able to consistently create chances for the likes of Kylian Mbappe from deep areas of the pitch, quickly turning defence into attack.

Attacking at pace can often prove pivotal in the Champions League, and Real could advance into the latter stages of the competition if they can get Alexander-Arnold into positions where his passing ability can shine through.

Written by
Lewis Nolan