Trent Alexander-Arnold’s dream move to Real Madrid has taken a frightening turn this week, with the former Liverpool right-back – widely regarded as the greatest in the world at his position – being demoted to the bench after only two La Liga starts at his new club. The 26-year-old joined Jude Bellingham’s side over the summer.
Real Madrid spent £10 million in compensation to add Trent to Xabi Alonso’s Club World Cup team, hoping to capture him before his Liverpool contract expired and give him more time to settle in. However, the early evidence indicate that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
After only a few outings, mistake compilations have already circulated online, and Alexander-Arnold’s road to redemption has just grown much steeper, with Dani Carvajal’s return to play looming in Madrid.
Worrying Update on Trent’s Time at Real Madrid
Trent was frequently cautioned about the difficulties he would experience in Spain before joining Real Madrid this summer. One worry worried his defensive flaws, while another emphasized the continuous scrutiny of the notoriously impatient Spanish press, where overambitious expectations have frequently resulted in the demise of great players like Gareth Bale.
He was also told that if he did not make an early impact, he would be relegated to second or third choice behind Federico Valverde and Dani Carvajal. That final caution came into stark focus this week, when Carvajal returned from an ACL injury to start ahead of him.
That is only the top of the iceberg. The Athletic has since claimed that he could spend a significant amount of time on the bench. It wrote:
“The 33-year-old [Dani Carvajal] came back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the end of last season and sources close to him expect the player to keep his place in Xabi Alonso’s XI for a long time, despite Alexander-Arnold’s signing.”
Indeed, it’s safe to assume that Liverpool fans, who thought their boyhood idol left unceremoniously at the end of the 2024/25 season, exiting through the backdoor rather than helping the club reclaim some money for him, have had a lot to say about this new setback. “Man said he wanted to win the Ballon d’Or; now he’s going to win the Bench d’Or,” one X user wrote.
As one person stated, “No World Cup for him potentially,” while another added, “He will slip into obscurity there. He could’ve been a Liverpool legend. “What a loser!” A fourth person commented, “He made his choice, let him live with it.”
Meanwhile, a fifth concluded: “He knew this was going to happen, and he was aware of his game’s faults. He knew he could get away with it in Liverpool because he was a Scouser. I didn’t think it would work at Madrid, and I believe he will be out on loan next year.”
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