It will also be a time of churn off the pitch at the Bernabeu, with legendary coach Carlo Ancelotti expected to leave at the end of the season.
Why leave the stability and success of Liverpool for a time of transition at Real Madrid?
The answer is simple. The lure of Real Madrid is almost always irresistible.
In 2023, Bellingham was being courted by every major club in Europe before deciding on Real. As he put it at the time: “When Real Madrid knock on the door, the whole house shakes.”
The biggest indicator as to where Alexander-Arnold’s future lay came when Real Madrid lodged a £20m bid in the January transfer window.
Those with long knowledge of Real’s transfer strategy were assured they would not make such a move, with its likelihood of rejection, without being confident a free transfer would be completed in the summer.
Liverpool did turn the offer down, not only wanting to keep Alexander-Arnold but also hoping to buy time for a change of heart. Two months later, he met head coach Arne Slot to inform him he would not be signing a new contract.
While there was always a quiet confidence behind the scenes at Anfield that Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk would sign new deals, there was never the same sense of assurance about Alexander-Arnold.
This has been, at times, a difficult season for Alexander-Arnold with injuries and the constant speculation – and latterly assumption – that he was on his way out.
It all seemed to come to head in the 2-2 draw against Manchester United at Anfield in January.
After Real Madrid’s bid became public knowledge, Alexander-Arnold delivered a nightmare performance in what looked like a fog of confusion, playing a poor pass that led to Lisandro Martinez’s goal for United before getting caught out badly for Amad Diallo’s late equaliser.
He was then given a yellow card and replaced by Conor Bradley with four minutes left, having looked lost and distracted throughout, while suddenly feeling the sound of Anfield’s frustration aimed in his direction.
