After their Champions League match, Jude Bellingham was seen waiting to switch jerseys with his close friend Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo scored goals for the home team on Wednesday night, and the Real Madrid star was powerless to stop his team’s loss to Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool.
Los Blancos, who currently rank 24th in the league table, had again another poor outcome, but at least Madrid star Bellingham had one bright spot.At full time, the England international was seen waiting outside the Liverpool locker room, hoping to trade shirts with his close friend Alexander-Arnold.
Ryan Gravenberch, a teammate, went inside the dressing room and came back to give Bellingham the shirt, but the full-back wasn’t there to present it himself.
The Madrid player was reflecting on the loss with a somber expression on his face.Although many questioned whether responsibilities would be reserved and whether Alexander-Arnold could convince England’s star to join Liverpool before he agreed with Madrid, the two have become close friends since Bellingham was introduced to the England setup two years ago.
However, that did not occur, and now the situation is reversed, with Bellingham’s destiny set in stone and Alexander-Arnold’s uncertain.
During England’s march to the Euro 2024 final in Germany, the two became even closer, and they have stayed close during recent international breaks.
With Alexander-Arnold’s current contract expiring in a year, an agreement might be reached as early as January. Pre-contract agreements could be made a few months before the deal expires.
Should that occur, it wouldn’t be the first high-profile free transfer Madrid has obtained; Mbappe is now nearing the end of his contract with PSG in France before relocating to Spain this summer.
At the Euros this summer, Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold started two games together. Alexander-Arnold, who started in an unfamiliar midfield spot, was benched for the third group game and beyond due to criticism of his performances.
Responding to the criticism, the Real Madrid player jumped to his friend’s defense, telling ITV Sport: “He makes it so easy for me because he can control the game so well defensively in that position.”
He’s quite aggressive with that back-to-goal pressure, which actually benefited me as well because it meant I had a breather when he walked out. I know people speak a lot of bullshit.
“I believe we have a good understanding of one another when it comes to the ball; he always wants to play forward and in a positive manner.”
Liverpool is the “best team in Europe,” according to Rio Ferdinand, who also said that the team is “playing like Rottweilers that have not been fed in a while” elsewhere that evening.
