Soon-to-be Real Madrid player was approached by Barcelona – report | OneFootball

Real Madrid are on the verge of securing the first big signing for next season, in the form of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Barring any unexpected event, the Liverpool superstar is set to join Los Blancos on a free transfer this summer, potentially signing a contract until 2030.

Alexander-Arnold could be a major coup for Real Madrid. But the Englishman’s career trajectory could have been quite different, as the player was approached by rivals Barcelona not too long ago.

Barcelona were interested in Alexander-Arnold under Xavi

As revealed by Cadena SER (h/t SPORT), Barcelona were ‘seriously’ interested in signing Alexander-Arnold a few years ago.

The club were keen on securing his services especially under Xavi Hernandez and Jordi Cruyff’s leadership. But for one reason or the other, the move never quite materialised.

The report even adds that more recently, the Catalans’ current sporting director Deco had met Alexander-Arnold’s agent to discuss the possibility of a potential move to Barcelona.

Alexander-Arnold was courted by Barcelona not too long ago (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

However, there could have been multiple roadblocks that Barcelona might have faced in getting the deal done, including the club’s inflated wage bill.

The fact that Jules Kounde has been performing at a top level could also be a factor, although that hasn’t stopped Barcelona from scouring the market for a new right-back in recent weeks.

It must be noted that about five years ago, Alexander-Arnold had revealed to GQ Magazine that he admires Barcelona a lot and is a huge fan of Lionel Messi.

But not less than five months from now, the Englishman will be playing for Barcelona’s bitter rivals, Real Madrid.

In fact, Alexander-Arnold is expected to become a key component in Real Madrid’s defensive line as he looks to become the long-term replacement for Dani Carvajal.