Alexander-Arnold will be forced to break from nine-year tradition at Real Madrid

TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD will not be able to wear his No66 shirt at Real Madrid due to a little-known rule.

The Liverpool star’s contract expires this summer and he is ready to leave Anfield for free.

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Alexander-Arnold will reportedly sign a five-year deal at Real Madrid and pocket £240,000-a-week.

His move to Spain sees his spell at boyhood club Liverpool come to an end and his nine years wearing the No66 is also over.

That is because a LaLiga rule prevents players having kit numbers above No25, corresponding to the size of a team’s squad.

Only youngsters who are not registered in the senior squad, but can still play, are allowed to wear a higher digit on their back.

His future Real Madrid team-mate Raul Asencio is an exception to the rule amid a breakthrough season in the No35 shirt.

The No66 has become synonymous with Alexander-Arnold after he was given it when he first started training with the first-team in 2016.

It was handed to him as it was a free number and not low enough to think he was an established part of the Liverpool side.

But Alexander-Arnold quickly broke into the starting XI in the unique number and has decided to keep it ever since.

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While playing for England, he has donned the No2, No7, No8 and No10 shirts.

Despite him seemingly leaving Liverpool on a free, the club are still set to rake in cash from Real Madrid.

The Champions League holders want to complete the signing in time for the revamped Club World Cup, which starts on June 15.

Alexander-Arnold’s deal does not expire until June 30 and Real Madrid are therefore willing to pay around £5million to break the contract early so he can join his new team in the US for the tournament.

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