- Published
It has not been an easy start to the season for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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It → publish → Arnold
The full-back joined Real Madrid in June 2025 with the ambition of establishing himself as the club's first-choice right-back, but the reality has been very different.
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reality → join → back
The arrival of Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan this summer added more competition in the position, and now manager Jose Mourinho appears to be favouring Fede Valverde, normally a midfielder, as a starter at right-back.
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Mourinho → add → back
It leaves Alexander-Arnold as third choice and leads to questions on where, and in what role, Mourinho sees the England international's future.
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Mourinho → leave → future
Alexander-Arnold has participated in seven of the 13 games Real have played this season, though he has only started four times and has made just one assist - in a 4-0 home win over Malaga.
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he → participate → Malaga
And his involvement has notably declined over the past four games - he did not play against Roma, Sevilla or RB Leipzig and got just a couple of minutes in the Clasico, when he came on in stoppage time.
Alexander-Arnold has just turned 28 and Real showed how much they wanted him last summer by paying 10m euros (£8.33m) to secure his early release and make him available for the Club World Cup, rather than wait until he was available on a free transfer when his Liverpool contract expired.
But, despite having a contract until 2031, his future now hangs in the balance.
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future → decline → balance
Alexander-Arnold made an excellent first impression at the club, winning over supporters during his first public appearance by delivering his arrival speech in Spanish and saying signing for Real was a "dream come true".
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signing → make → Real
I'm eager to show the club and the fans what I can do," he added.
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he → show → what
There was considerable optimism surrounding Alexander-Arnold's arrival, with his signing appearing to form part of the club's succession plan at right-back - he could provide cover for Dani Carvajal while positioning himself as a potential long-term successor to the veteran Spaniard.
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he → be → Spaniard
His first season, however, fell short of expectations.
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season → fall → expectations
He made 21 La Liga appearances in 2025-26 out of a possible 38, with 14 starts, as injuries and a lack of continuity prevented Alexander-Arnold from establishing himself as a regular presence.
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injuries → make → presence
For a player arriving with his pedigree and reputation, it was a frustrating start to life in Madrid.
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it → arrive → Madrid
There have been several mitigating factors, and Alexander-Arnold is not the only player to have struggled to find his best form during a turbulent period for Real.
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Arnold → mitigate → Real
Firstly, injuries have played a significant role.
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injuries → play → role
A hamstring problem in September and a thigh injury in December disrupted his first campaign and denied him the sustained run of games needed to build momentum and develop an understanding with his new team-mates, while a muscle issue during pre-season had already interrupted his preparations.
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issue → disrupt → preparations
The turnover in management at the club hardly helped either.
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turnover → help → club
Xabi Alonso's departure and Alvaro Arbeloa's subsequent appointment meant Alexander-Arnold had to adapt to a change in leadership during his debut season.
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Arnold → mean → season
Neither tenure brought the consistency Real had hoped for, while Mourinho now faces the task of finding the right balance within a squad packed with talent.
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Mourinho → bring → talent
Could he leave Real Madrid in January?
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he → leave → January
Mourinho has addressed speculation that Alexander-Arnold could leave Real Madrid in January, admitting that difficult selection decisions can be painful but insisting that the team's needs must come first.
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needs → address → January
"First of all, it hurts me.
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it → hurt → me
I don't like to make players feel bad.
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players → like → ?
I want them to feel good," Mourinho said.
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Mourinho → want → ?
"Obviously, when you build a squad with two players per position as your foundation and then have a third player take the field, that's something I don't like.
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I → build → field
"But there are things that are more important than these feelings.
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that → be → feelings
that are more important for the team at a given moment
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that → give → moment
And I decided that right now, the move was to change up the midfield and put Fede [Valverde] in there.
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move → decide → Valverde
"But I was thinking about the team, not the players.
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I → think → team
Trent and Dumfries took it well when I explained that it was a decision for the team and not against the players."
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it → take → players
Mourinho has previously highlighted Alexander-Arnold's versatility and tactical intelligence, insisting that squad rotation and positional flexibility will be crucial to Real's success.
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rotation → highlight → success
Speaking at his first news conference in August, Mourinho stressed that competition for places would be important, naming Trent alongside Netherlands international Dumfries.
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competition → speak → Dumfries
"It is not possible to think that one will play 60 games and the other none," he said, underlining the need to keep his squad involved and motivated.
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squad → think → need
That flexibility was evident against Inter Milan in September, when Mourinho deployed Alexander-Arnold in central midfield alongside Valverde because several midfield options were unavailable through suspension.
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options → deploy → suspension
Mourinho was pleased with the defender's performance, saying he had "interpreted what he needed to really well, tactically" and that he and Valverde had "worked very well at this level".
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he → say → level
Despite having to make difficult selection decisions, Mourinho has stressed the importance of keeping every member of his squad motivated and ready to contribute.
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member → have → squad
"Right now, we are working to make sure all the players are ready at all times, so everyone feels they could be playing and that they are important.
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they → work → times
Speaking on The Overlap, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said he would welcome Alexander-Arnold's return to the Merseyside club.
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he → speak → club
"I'd have him back," Carragher said.
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Carragher → have → him
"He would get a lot of criticism, because I think he made a mistake.
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he → get → mistake
I think he made a big mistake going to Madrid.
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he → think → Madrid
…and 9 more, not listed.
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