“It Was Written”: Fans Say Trent Alexander-Arnold Was Always Destined for Real Madrid

As Trent Alexander-Arnold prepares to complete his free transfer to Real Madrid this summer, fans are revisiting a post from the past that now feels like a moment of fate.
Supporters have uncovered the first-ever Instagram post from the Liverpool defender back in 2014, which shows him training at the Santiago Bernabéu with Liverpool’s senior squad. At just 16 years old, Alexander-Arnold had traveled with the team for a Champions League group-stage match against Real Madrid — a match the Reds narrowly lost 1–0.
In the now-viral photo, a young Trent is seen standing on the iconic pitch beside teammates Rickie Lambert and Raheem Sterling. The caption? A simple but symbolic:
“Training at the Bernabeu.”
Now, over a decade later, that moment feels prophetic.
“Destined to Be a Madridista”
As news of his transfer spreads, fans on social media have declared that the post was a sign all along.
“It was meant to be,”
“A full-circle moment,”
“Destined to be a Madridista,”
— these are just a few of the comments flooding Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) as users reflect on the throwback post.
Alexander-Arnold’s journey from Liverpool academy graduate to one of the world’s most complete right-backs has now brought him full circle — back to the place where he once posed as a wide-eyed teenager, and soon, as a Galáctico.