What shirt number will Trent Alexander-Arnold wear at Real Madrid?

We assess which shirt number Trent Alexander-Arnold could wear at Real Madrid.

26-year-old Alexander Arnold is expected to join the ranks of 15-time UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid after confirming he will depart boyhood club Liverpool upon the expiry of his contract at Anfield this summer.

An academy graduate of Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold has worn the number 66 shirt ever since making his first team debut in 2016.

Alexander-Arnold's number 66 shirt has become iconic with the right-back an integral member of a Liverpool side which have won two Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League crown during his nine years as a professional with the Reds.

The England international's attachment with the number 66 could therefore be expected to continue at Real Madrid, but with La Liga rules stipulating that all players must wear a number between 1 and 25 in line with the maximum squad allocation, Alexander-Arnold will be forced to select a different number in Spain.

As a right-back, the number 2 would be a natural choice for Alexander-Arnold, but this is currently occupied by Los Blancos legend Dani Carvajal.

In Real Madrid's current squad, there are only three shirt numbers between 1-25 which are vacant at present - 12, 24 and 25.

Of course, Alexander-Arnold's potential shirt number at Los Blancos will also depend on which players exit the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.

Current Real Madrid squad members who have been linked with a possible departure this summer include out of contract trio Luka Modric, Lucas Vazquez and Jesus Vallejo, as well as the potentially dispensable David Alaba, Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia.

This could mean the following shirt numbers could also become vacant at Real Madrid ahead of next season: 10, 17, 18, 4, 23 and 20.

At this stage it appears unclear which shirt Alexander-Arnold will opt to wear, but of the potential options, perhaps 4, 12 or 17 could be suitable.

An international teammate of Alexander-Arnold at England and a close personal friend of the right-back, Jude Bellingham selected the number 5 shirt previously adorned by the legendary Zinedine Zidane when he signed for Real Madrid in the summer of 2023.

James Wilson

• Real Madrid CF
• Trent Alexander-Arnold
• European Football
• La Liga
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