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Just weeks after bidding farewell to Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold was delivering remarks in fluent Spanish at his Real Madrid presentation ceremony.
The Merseyside-raised youngster who spent two decades in a red jersey, collected every major trophy at Anfield and was destined to one day wear the captain's armband, walked away from it all to embark on a fresh chapter in the Spanish capital.
Not a trace of regret crossed Alexander-Arnold's face as he stood at the podium before journalists, cameras and club president Florentino Pérez, addressing the crowd in a new language while holding aloft a white No. 12 shirt. The unforgettable nights at Anfield had faded into the background as he set his sights on legendary evenings ahead at the Bernabéu.
Yet fast forward two years and there has been nothing legendary about Alexander-Arnold's stint at Real Madrid. In fact, it's almost as though the player, once regarded as the finest right back on the planet, simply vanished from the footballing landscape.
Alexander-Arnold Builds a Legacy at Liverpool
"He is one of those stories that very few clubs can tell, but he is someone people will still be talking about in 20, 30 and 40 years," former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp said of Alexander-Arnold back in 2024.
The German tactician had a ringside view of the fullback's brilliance throughout his nine-year tenure in the Reds' dugout. Together, Klopp and Alexander-Arnold claimed eight pieces of silverware, among them the 2018–19 Champions League trophy and the 2019–20 Premier League title.
Throughout that journey, Alexander-Arnold carved out his own legend with every stunning free kick or sweeping diagonal pass that showcased his exceptional playmaking ability. The defensive shortcomings in his game were overlooked as long as his extraordinary right foot compensated for those weaknesses.
Alexander-Arnold was subsequently appointed vice-captain, placing him firmly on course to one day lead his boyhood club. It seemed only natural that the Scouser who joined Liverpool at the age of 6 would eventually captain the side in front of supporters who held him in the highest regard.
Yet it became increasingly clear that Alexander-Arnold had a very different vision for his future. Speculation linking him to Real Madrid had always existed, but it grew louder with each passing week of the 2024–25 season, particularly as the England international continued to delay signing a new contract.
Liverpool were storming their way to the Premier League title in Arne Slot's first season in charge, yet the headlines surrounding Alexander-Arnold's perceived betrayal were just as prominent as those celebrating the team's achievements. After 20 years and 354 appearances, was the homegrown star truly going to walk out on Anfield simply because he couldn't resist the pull of Real Madrid?
Steven Gerrard never did. And he proved it. But Alexander-Arnold chose a new challenge over his loyalty to Liverpool—and he has been paying the price ever since.
A Debut Campaign Spoiled by Injuries
Real Madrid moved swiftly to secure Alexander-Arnold ahead of the 2025 Club World Cup. New head coach Xabi Alonso was eager to see his latest acquisition in action as soon as possible.
At the time, it was merely a disappointment when Alexander-Arnold missed the team's semifinal encounter with Paris Saint-Germain through injury. But in retrospect, it served as a rather telling sign of things to come.
Alexander-Arnold made just five appearances for Real Madrid in 2025–26 before sustaining a serious hamstring injury in September. He was sidelined for over a month, only to then suffer a muscle tear in December that kept him out of action until February.
Throughout that period, Real Madrid were struggling badly. The 15-time European champions watched their La Liga advantage evaporate, fell to defeat in the Spanish Super Cup final, parted ways with Alonso and were eliminated from the Copa del Rey.
Even upon Alexander-Arnold's return to the pitch, morale in the Spanish capital was so low that even a return to peak form would have done little to lift the mood. By the season's end, Real Madrid had gone without a trophy and their marquee summer acquisition had managed just 30 appearances and five assists.
As if matters couldn't deteriorate further for Alexander-Arnold, he was left out of England manager Thomas Tuchel's squad for the 2026 World Cup. The 28-year-old was forced to watch the Three Lions secure a third-place finish on football's grandest stage from the comfort of his home, no doubt questioning whether things might have turned out differently had he simply remained at Liverpool.
Things Somehow Get Worse Under José Mourinho
Such a disappointing debut season combined with missing the World Cup ignited a renewed determination in Alexander-Arnold. It was evident from the opening days of preseason that he was intent on rewriting the narrative in his second campaign, particularly with Dani Carvajal no longer blocking his path.
However, new manager José Mourinho had other ideas. Just as Alexander-Arnold believed he would be the undisputed first choice on Real Madrid's right side, the Portuguese coach brought Denzel Dumfries to the Bernabéu.
The pair shared playing time during preseason, but Mourinho ultimately preferred the Dutchman over Alexander-Arnold. Dumfries claimed the starting berth, consigning the former Liverpool star to the bench once again.
Even when Mourinho handed minutes to other peripheral squad members, Alexander-Arnold was almost entirely overlooked. Across Real Madrid's 11 matches so far this season, he has been an unused substitute on five occasions. There have been moments when the team urgently required a goal or a creative spark late on, yet the Englishman was never given a second thought.
It has been a rather baffling situation to observe, given that Dumfries has been far from convincing. The former Inter Milan man contributes very little in attack and has been a liability defensively—so much so that Mourinho has now turned to Federico Valverde to fill the right-back role.
The Latest Dagger to Alexander-Arnold
Losing his starting spot to injuries or Dumfries is one thing for Alexander-Arnold. But watching a natural midfielder preferred ahead of him is an entirely different kind of slight.
Following Los Blancos' 4–1 victory over Sevilla in which Valverde was deployed at right back, Mourinho offered this explanation: "It's not easy for a coach to leave two quality right backs on the bench, but I felt it would be very useful to have a right back with legs and quality to play behind Endrick."
The reasoning makes sense when applied to Dumfries; the 30-year-old has looked sluggish this season and has struggled to build combinations with whichever winger operates on his side. But Alexander-Arnold? For all the criticism directed his way, concerns about his energy or attacking quality have never been among them.
Mourinho plainly does not trust the Englishman, and is falling into the same patterns as his predecessors by deploying Valverde at right back. Only on this occasion, the decision is not born out of necessity.
It leaves Alexander-Arnold drifting into irrelevance. He has gone from lifting Premier League titles with Liverpool to being a third-choice right back at Real Madrid.
Unless the situation changes dramatically, it is easy to picture Alexander-Arnold writing off his time in a white shirt as a significant failure and seeking a way out of the Bernabéu. There would undoubtedly be no shortage of clubs eager to sign him, but the damage to his standing in the game is a lasting mark on what was once an unblemished career record.