WHAT HAPPENED?
The Blancos were able to lure 26-year-old defender Alexander-Arnold away from his Merseyside roots at Liverpool as he approached free agency - with a €10 million (£9m/$12m) fee changing hands in order to get that deal done ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
La Liga giants Real have always kept a close eye on expiring contracts around the world, with the likes of David Alaba and Kylian Mbappe also being snapped up after running down their respective deals at Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
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Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW
It is now being claimed that Lewis-Skelly’s situation at Arsenal is being monitored. The 18-year-old left-back, who can also push on into midfield, is only tied to terms in north London through to the summer of 2026.
WHAT ROMANO SAID
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has said on his YouTube channel: “There are stories of Real Madrid working on a deal, considering a deal, making contacts for Lewis-Skelly. Many rumours on Lewis-Skelly because the player is doing fantastic at Arsenal and it’s quite obvious to see this kind of stories when the player is out of contract in one year. A massive opportunity on the market when you look at that. Real Madrid are always attentive to opportunities.”
Romano did go on to say, with the Gunners reluctant to part with another highly-rated product of their famed academy system: “Arsenal are very calm, very relaxed, very confident and optimistic to get a deal done for Lewis-Skelly.”
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR LEWIS-SKELLY?
A breakthrough campaign for Lewis-Skelly in 2024-25 saw him make 39 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions. He has also become a senior England international and the youngest debutant to score for the Three Lions, and will be hoping to grace the World Cup finals next summer.