Pep Guardiola has told Manchester City to try to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold from Real Madrid next summer, according to a report, as the former Liverpool star reflects on his debut for Los Blancos following his move from Anfield earlier this summer.
Alexander-Arnold is one of the best right-backs in the world and made the move to Madrid this summer. While Los Blancos eventually had to pay a £8.5million fee to Liverpool to get Alexander-Arnold out of his contract early so that he could play for Xabi Alonso’s side at the FIFA Club World Cup, the fact of the matter is that the Spanish giants already had a deal in place with the England international over a free transfer.
The Spanish press had reported that Man City manager Guardiola wanted to sign Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer this summer.
Man City even held talks over the right-back, but his dream was always to play for Madrid and he did not switch from Anfield to the Etihad Stadium.
It seems that Guardiola is refusing to give up on his dream to work with Alexander-Arnold at Man City.
According to Defensa Central, Guardiola hopes to sign Alexander-Arnold from Madrid next summer.
The former Barcelona manager has reportedly ‘asked’ Man City ‘to pay close attention to how Trent Alexander-Arnold adapts and adjusts to the Whites.
Guardiola has noticed first hand ‘great potential’ in Alexander-Arnold from the Englishman’s time at Liverpool.
Given that not all players can adapt to the huge pressure at Madrid and to Spanish football, Guardiola reportedly believes that Man City ‘should be on the lookout’ for Alexander-Arnold’s progress at Madrid.
Madrid endured a disappointing 2024/25 campaign under Carlo Ancelotti and hope to win LaLiga and the Champions League in the 2025/26 season under his successor, Alonso.
DON’T MISS 🌐 Top 10 most expensive Real Madrid signings of all time, with Ancelotti at the helm for four
Trent Alexander-Arnold reflects on Real Madrid debut
Alexander-Arnold made his debut for Madrid on Wednesday when he started in Alonso’s first match as Los Blancos manager against Al-Hilal at the FIFA Club World Cup.
The 26-year-old, who became only the seventh English player to wear the Madrid shirt, was over the moon to have turned out for Los Blancos.
The right-back raved about Madrid and also revealed how long he has been learning Spanish, after he stunned Los Blancos and Liverpool fans with his near-fluent speech in the local language at his presentation last week.
Alexander-Arnold told DAZN: “Incredible day. To have made my debut for Real Madrid, it’s something that I think almost every player dreams of. To be able to achieve that is huge for me.
“Of course, there’s some disappointment in there to have not won the game.
“That’s the mentality you need to have as a Real Madrid player, to want and expect to win every game we play in.
“We’re disappointed not to have done that, but there were a lot of positives, especially in the second half.”
When asked about the Madrid fans at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Alexander-Arnold noted: “Incredible. I felt the support from the moment I signed with the club, to be honest.
“Absolutely sensation. A fanbase that is global, truly global, all over the world. You feel it every single day.
“The fans are at the training ground, the hotel, all over social media. The support is incredible. A huge thank you for that.
“We dominated the stands today which is incredible. The support is truly amazing.”
When asked how long he had been learning Spanish, Alexander-Arnold said: “Not too long! A couple of months.
“It was something that I found was very important for me to do.
“I want to adapt and give myself the best start possible, going to a new city, a new country and a new team.
“It’s important to show the intent and show that I want to embrace the culture, immerse myself in it and adapt as best as possible.
“That was very important for me to do that.”
Latest Real Madrid news: Arsenal blow, Ibrahima Konate fee
Madrid have suffered a blow in their quest to sign two Arsenal players, according to a report.
A Spanish report has revealed how much Liverpool want for Ibrahima Konate amid interest from Madrid.
Madrid have also taken action after learning that Arsenal and Manchester United want Brahim Diaz, according to two reliable sources.
POLL: How will Trent Alexander-Arnold fare at Real Madrid?