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.
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 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 eventually 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 No10shirts.
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.
