‘I joined Man Utd over Real Madrid – Trent Alexander-Arnold won’t have same concerns'

Leny Yoro has revealed why he chose Manchester United over Real Madrid this summer, while Trent Alexander-Arnold could be set to swap Anfield for the Bernabeu. Alexander-Arnold’s contract with Liverpool, alongside Mohamed Salah’s and Virgil van Dijk’s, is due to expire at the end of the current Premier League season – and there have been persistent rumours linking him with a move to Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants have been searching for a new first-choice right-back since Dani Carvajal suffered a ruptured ACL in early October. With no new contract currently on the table from Liverpool’s new manager Arne Slot, the 26-year-old could begin negotiations with Real Madrid as early as New Year’s Day. However, Alexander-Arnold might want to take into account the views of Premier League rival Yoro, who found himself choosing between Manchester United and Real Madrid this summer.

Despite many football fans believing that the La Liga club were favourites to sign the 19-year-old in a high-profile transfer from Lille, with strong competition from Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, the young player surprised everyone by deciding to join the Red Devils in a £52million five-year deal.

Asked why he chose Manchester United over other interested clubs, Yoro revealed to Rio Ferdinand and TNT Sports: “For me, man, it’s got the most history, it’s the biggest club in the world. And for me to play for United, even when I was young, it was the history, the fans, everything is big here,” reports the Mirror.

However, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano provided another angle on this, pointing to the allure of a starting position that might have tipped the scales for the player.

According to Romano, Yoro was presented with a ‘long-term project’ with him as a regular starter, giving him an important role in the team as opposed to what might have been on offer at Madrid. The same Caught Offside report also cites an ‘important salary’ and ‘trust for the long term’ as other deciding factors for the defender.

Despite his promise, Yoro’s journey with United has been rocky, marred by a foot injury necessitating surgery during the team’s pre-season tour in the US. Only back in action since December, the centre-back has nonetheless featured in every single Premier League game since under the stewardship of Ruben Amorim.

If Alexander-Arnold were to transfer to Real Madrid, he wouldn’t have to worry about securing a key role. The right-back is already a well-established player at both the club and international levels, and in his prime, he could easily secure a regular spot on any team.

Given his high calibre, it’s expected that Alexander-Arnold would land a lucrative deal if he were to sign with Real Madrid – a club known for its generous compensation packages. For instance, it’s reported that fellow English player Jude Bellingham earns a base salary of £330,187 per week, while Kylian Mbappe reportedly receives a whopping weekly base salary of £495,359.

Liverpool currently lead the Premier League, eight points ahead of second-place Nottingham Forest, with a game still in hand. The Reds have accumulated 14 wins, three draws and just one loss since the start of the season, with Alexander-Arnold playing a significant role in their 2024/25 title campaign. The star has participated in 17 games this season, scoring once and providing four assists.