Trent Alexander-Arnold to be denied dream squad number at Real Madrid due to strict La Liga rule

Trent Alexander-Arnold will be denied his dream squad number at Real Madrid because of a little-known La Liga rule.

Alexander-Arnold has officially announced his Liverpool departure as the star player will leave at the end of the season when his contract expires.

The 26-year-old, who started Sunday's Premier League defeat to Chelsea, took to social media on Monday to confirm his decision.

Shortly after his social media post, Liverpool issued a statement in the wake of his emotional decision.

He has yet to disclose the next move of his career but a move to Real seems likely considering the club's long-standing interest.

A free transfer is on the cards, with Alexander-Arnold's existing deal set to expire.

Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool and potentially joining Real would end his association with his boyhood club.

He graduated from the club's youth academy before breaking into the first-team, making 352 appearances across all competitions, winning two Premier League titles and the Champions League, among other trophies.

Alexander-Arnold has always sported the No.66 shirt throughout his professional spell at Liverpool, but he will have to change that squad number should he join the ranks at Real.

That's because La Liga rules require clubs to submit 25-player first-team squads featuring numbers from 1 to 25.

Players in the 25-man A-squad must wear a number between 1 and 25, while goalkeepers must wear 1, 13 or 25.

Reserve team players selected to play for the first-team are handed squad numbers between 26 and 50.

Alexander-Arnold has previously won the numbers 2, 7, 8 and 10 for England and, as it stands, only three first-team squad numbers are available at Real.

The No.12 shirt is currently the lowest squad number, while No.24 and No.25 are also free - although the No.25 shirt is often reserved for the third-choice goalkeeper.

Another squad number could open up depending on departures this summer.

Trent Alexander-Arnold wore the No.66 shirt during his Liverpool spell. Image: Getty

Explaining his decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, Alexander-Arnold said: "I think first and foremost, I want to say it’s not an easy decision and there’s a lot of thought and feeling that has gone into it. I’ve been here 20 years now, loved every single minute of it, achieved all my dreams, achieved everything I’ve ever wanted to here.

"Giving everything day in, day out for 20 years, I’ve got to a point now where I feel like I need a new change, a new challenge for me as a player and as a person. And I think now is the right time for me to do that."