With 66 Not Allowed, What Shirt Number Could Trent Alexander-Arnold Wear At Real Madrid?
It seems like a matter of time before confirmation arrives that Trent Alexander-Arnold is officially joining Real Madrid on a free transfer.
The English right-back is out of contract at Liverpool this summer and despite the Premier League side doing its best to keep him, the pull of Real Madrid looks too strong and earlier reports today confirmed that a deal is nearing completion.
Beyond his remarkable passing range and brilliant set-piece taking, one of the most distinguishable parts of Alexander-Arnold as a player is the No. 66 on his back. A number that high is not often seen in English football and is more common in Serie A or South America.
That number has become a big part of Alexander-Arnold's brand, but as The Daily Mail has highlighted, there is a little-known rule in Spain which means he will have to ditch it should he rock up at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Players in La Liga are not allowed to have a number exceeding 25, as that is the amount of players registered in a first-team squad for the season. Of course, youngsters can occasionally be parachuted into a team, but their registration rules are different and permit a higher number.
🚨💣 Trent Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid, closer and closer after story revealed 1 year ago.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 25, 2025
The official contract proposal from Real has been sent to TAA and his camp.
Discussions underway on details of the deal; all parties involved CONFIDENT to get the agreement done. pic.twitter.com/jlXHEzP2MX
A Potential Battle With Dani Carvajal
Alexander-Arnold has worn a handful of different numbers when representing England, so any of 2, 7, 8 or 10 would not be new ground for Alexander-Arnold.
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All four of those numbers belong to prominent members of the squad. Vinicius Jr. is No. 7, Fede Valverde is No. 8, and Jude Bellingham is No. 10. The awkward part is that Dani Carvajal, the current first-choice right-back at Real Madrid when fit, wears No. 2.
It is not yet clear if Carvajal is going to leave the club in the summer or be content with battling Alexander-Arnold for a starting spot. If he does stay at the club, though, it is hard to imagine him giving up the No. 2 shirt.
Therefore, we're likely to see Alexander-Arnold sporting a brand new shirt number when he starts playing for Real Madrid.
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Euan is an experienced soccer writer who has been featured by The Guardian, MARCA, 90min, Sempre Milan and many more similar publications. He secured a first-class degree in journalism at Liverpool John Moores University and his career has seen him primarily focus on European football, developing an in-depth knowledge of multiple clubs and leagues in the process.