Trent Alexander-Arnold's old tweet about Barcelona legend Lionel Messi goes viral after Real Madrid move is announced

Trent Alexander-Arnold's old tweet about Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has resurfaced on social media. This came after Real Madrid announced the signing of the English defender on Friday (May 30).

The tweet is from 2014, when Alexander-Arnold was in the Liverpool academy. He made the tweet on June 25, the day Argentina defeated Nigeria 3-2 in a 2014 FIFA World Cup group-stage game. Messi had scored twice, after which Alexander-Arnold wrote on his X handle:

"Messi is a genius."

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After two decades with the Reds, the 26-year-old has joined Real Madrid for a fee of €10 million. He was expected to leave the club on a free transfer on June 30; however, the Reds accepted a fee to release the Englishman early.

The English defender would be eligible to play in the FIFA Club World Cup with his early arrival on June 1. Trent Alexander-Arnold has signed a six-year deal with Los Blancos, which includes a reported €1 billion release clause.

The Englishman made 354 appearances for Liverpool's senior team, scoring 23 goals and providing 92 assists across all competitions. He also won two Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup, and the League Cup with the Reds.

When Trent Alexander-Arnold picked Barcelona as his second favourite club

In 2022, English defender Trent Alexander-Arnold named Barcelona as his second favorite club after Liverpool. During an interview with GQ Magazine, the 26-year-old talked about his favourite football club other than the Merseyside outfit.

Alexander-Arnold had opined that Liverpool and La Blaugrana have the same values and beliefs. He told the magazine (via beIN Sports):

"I'd say my other favourite team is Barca. I feel like they have some values and beliefs as Liverpool. They like to bring players through the academy."

The English defender had also picked Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo and Messi have dominated the sport for almost two decades, winning numerous individual and team accolades. As a result, choosing one over the other is always tricky. However, the 26-year-old has a clear choice, as he said:

"I grew up watching Messi and that special Barcelona team with Iniesta, Xavi, Henry, Eto'o."

However, Trent Alexander-Arnold has joined La Blaugrana's arch-rivals Real Madrid on a long-term deal.

About the author

Shashank is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering European football since the past 2 years. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and has also played the sport as a box-to-box midfielder and a full-back at national level, along with Tennis, Taekwondo and Boxing.

Shashank has been a Liverpool supporter since 2014 and had first stumbled upon the club after receiving a gift which had the words 'Liverpool FC' written on it. He has idolised Steven Gerrard over the years but his favorite football memory is the Reds' incredible comeback 4-0 win over Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semis. He, unsurprisingly, also loves Jurgen Klopp's managerial style.

He strives to report 100% accurate content by going through several social media platforms, and prides himself on his above-average vocabulary and researching skills. In his career so far, Shashank has had the privilege of interviewing Indian national football team goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

Shashank also follows the Indian Super League and the Eredivisie along with European Football. In his off time, he likes to do theatre, watch Tennis, and travel.

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Edited by Parag Jain