Reports suggest that the defender has already agreed a deal to join the Spanish giants at the end of the season when his contract expires. No official agreement has been signed, but a verbal agreement has been reached in a deal that many Liverpool fans expected to happen sooner or later.
As reported by Sky Sports Switzerland, his decision to leave the club came in the wake of Jurgen Klopp's shock departure after over eight years at the helm at the end of the 2023/24 season, which left the squad gobsmacked. Speaking to The Athletic, the 26-year-old expressed how shocked he was when he made the announcement.
"We all thought, 'Is this a joke?' None of us were expecting it," Alexander-Arnold told The Athletic. "It started like a normal day. Then the manager called a meeting at 10:30 am, which we had never had before, so everyone was like, 'What's going on?'
"He came into the changing rooms and told us there was news breaking as he was speaking. So we found out as players at the same time as everyone else but he told us personally.
"He said that this had to be his last season, that he needed a break to spend time with his family. I didn't know what to do... After he left the room, everyone was just sat there thinking, 'Has that just happened?'... It kind of shook the dressing room for a couple of hours."
Alexander-Arnold was visibly emotional when discussing Klopp at the end of the season, speaking as he spoke to ViaPlay in what was an emotional day which may have made him think about moving on once he had left.
"I've developed as a man, as a player, under his guidance. None of this is possible without him. There's not much you can say for a person who's made everything come true for you. He's changed my life, and everyone around me, my whole family. This was all possible through him.
"I can never say thank you enough for that. He made my dreams come true. Ask my family, ask anyone. I'm not (an) emotional (person). I can't remember the last time I cried! Honestly, I haven't cried in years. So this is very strange for me. It just shows how much he means to me and the club."