Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid are prepared to remain patient with Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has yet to hit top gear since moving to Spain.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, who joined Real Madrid during the last summer window, has struggled for form since moving to the Spanish capital. While he is yet to put in the kind of performances the team in white were hoping for, they still remain confident about him turning things around.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid have no regrets about signing the Liverpool graduate. While he has lost his starting spot in recent weeks, the English full-back remains an integral part of their long-term plans.
Alexander-Arnold came up the ranks at Liverpool. He got promoted to the first team back in 2016. The 27-year-old full-back had a nine-year-long stint in their first team, during which he won all major silverware, including two Premier League titles.
Romano’s take on Alexander-Arnold’s struggles
While speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “Real Madrid maintain their confidence in Trent for present and future. There is no panic, no alarm.
“Of course, Trent didn’t start his Real Madrid chapter maybe in the best way possible.
“There is no excitement around that, but this can be part of the game.
“There is an injury, there is an adaptation for a player who started his career and played his whole career so far as a Liverpool player in the same city, in the same club, in the same country, in the same league, now moving to Real Madrid, different context, different language, different coach, different culture.
“Everything is completely different. He’s adapting, but Real Madrid are not doubting the skills and the quality of Trent Alexander-Arnold, convinced about the signing they did on a free transfer.
“And so that’s the feeling around Trent, especially on the physical point of view.”
With his contract running out in the summer of 2025, Liverpool were keen on extending his stay. But the English defender already had his heart set on a move away. He decided to run down his deal and join giants Real Madrid.
While the team in white had an agreement in place to sign him on a free transfer, they ended up paying €10 million to Liverpool to get him out of his contract prior to the Club World Cup.
Alexander-Arnold is yet to hit top gear
Alexander-Arnold had a decent start to life at Real Madrid, but he has failed to reach the expected levels. While injuries have played their part, Xabi Alonso has only started him in two league and one Champions League fixture so far.
Despite being fully fit, he didn’t start against Liverpool or Rayo Vallecano, and it seems Alonso prefers Federico Valverde over Alexander-Arnold, despite him being a natural midfielder. Given the lack of minutes, there has been a lot of speculation around his future.
Multiple top clubs are reportedly keeping tabs on his situation and would jump at an opportunity to sign him. Despite all the talk about his future, the team in white aren’t really worried about the 27-year-old’s struggles on the pitch.
They remain quite optimistic about him turning things around going forward. Having played in England all his life, it is only human for the former Liverpool player to find it difficult to adjust to his new surroundings. Romano is very confident that the Spanish giants will remain patient with the English defender.