Trent Alexander-Arnold is not allowed to wear the shirt number 66 if he completes his summer movement to Real Madrid from Liverpool.
Spanish sources reported on Tuesday that Real Madrid has extreme confidence in the lands of the right back of Liverpool and England when his contract ends in the summer, and claims that a deal is 'completely ready and done'.
Although sources are near Liverpool, they have not yet had an indication of an agreed or completed deal, Reds fans are starting to prepare for life without the 26-year-old on the next Anfield campaign.
If Alexander-Arnold's movement continues as Spanish reports suggest, the Liverpudlian will have to say goodbye to his favorite kit number because of a little-known rule in LaLiga.
Alexander-Arnold has hunted the youth of the Reds to become an integral part of the team under Jurgen Klopp and now Arne Slot, has held his original team number, 66, in Anfield, despite wearing 2, 7, 8 and 10 on the international stage for England.
LaLiga rules state that no player may have a number higher than 25, which corresponds to the maximum team size that could be registered during the domestic season.
If players are selected by their clubs to appear in Laliga, they must choose a number between one and 25.
While he stops with Alexander-Arnold to wear his preferred number, the rule also prevented Laliga clubs to withdraw shirt numbers in honor of club greats such as Lionel Messi for Barcelona or Cristiano Ronaldo for Real Madrid.
If they would retire a kit number, the LaLiga club would be forced to submit squadrons of only 24 players, with a confiscated by the tribute.
Youth players who are not registered but who are still eligible to play are an exception to the rule, where Los Blancos defender Raul Asencio could not wear 35 during this campaign.
Real Madrid, who was legally allowed to talk to Alexander-Arnold since 1 January, made a direct approach to Liverpool on New Year's Eve in an attempt to sign him immediately their efforts were quickly rejected.
The leaders of the Premier League saw no sense to cash in their rights in January – Madrid was willing to pay around £ 20 million to get him early – because they still participated in four games at that time. That decision is justified.
Mail Sport understands that those in the Spanish capital have long expected that Alexander-Arnold would participate, but Florentino Perez wanted to respect Liverpool and did not want to make news public. Sources in Madrid think that completing a movement at this stage is a matter of a formality.
Alexander-Arnold is currently on the treatment table after he has injured his ankle in Liverpool's Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain. It is understood that he will start a return at a certain point in April.
The deal of Alexander-Arnold will officially be officially with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk at the end of June, both at the same time from the contract. Liverpool keeps in conversation to extend those deals, but no agreement has yet been reached.
Given the increasing speculation, bets were suspended that Alexander-Arnold came to Real this summer after a flashing of bets on several websites on Tuesday morning.
After attending their academy at the age of six, the defender made his debut as an 18-year-old in an EFL cup against Tottenham in 2018.
Since then he has gone 349 performances and has been a cornerstone in the enormous success of Liverpool in recent years.
Alexander-Arnold has scored 22 goals about his time in Anfield and added 87 assists.
He has won eight trophies with his boys' club – including the Premier League and Champions League – while also achieving 33 caps for England.
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