Trent Alexander-Arnold finds himself the subject of rumors about his future at Real Madrid, and Liverpool boss Arne Slot's parting shot may go a long way to explaining his struggles in Spain
James Findlater Content Editor
04:00, 27 Jan 2026
Trent Alexander-Arnold shakes hands with Arne Slot after Liverpool's win over Real Madrid
Arne Slot took a parting shot at Trent Alexander-Arnold before his departure for Real Madrid(Image: Getty Images)
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid is not going to plan. In fact, if you believe some reports coming out of Spain, it could prove to be a very short stay at the Bernabeu.
The former Liverpool right-back has endured an injury-ravaged season after completing his switch from Anfield last summer, resulting in him making just 11 appearances so far this campaign, including a mere seven starts.
He’s had to watch on from the sidelines for the most part as the club has imploded, with Xabi Alonso being fired amid growing tension with his squad - and by the sounds of it, his replacement isn’t all that keen on Alexander-Arnold.
READ MORE: Liverpool terminates loan deal amid injury crisis as transfer plans emergeREAD MORE: Liverpool news as Arne Slot favorite to be next Premier League manager fired
El Nacional claimed last week that the 27-year-old has been told by Alvaro Arbeloa to find a new club in the summer, with the new Real boss even going as far as telling him that he won’t get any game time in his side.
That report has been refuted in other quarters, but it does seem as though there are some growing frustrations with Alexander-Arnold in Madrid.
Even with Alonso’s backing, he wasn’t assured of a place in the side when he was fit, and now with a former right-back in charge, it seems he might have some work to do to completely convince Arbeloa and the notoriously harsh Bernabeu crowd.
MADRID, SPAIN - 2026/01/23: Alvaro Arbeloa, the head coach of Real Madrid CF, attends a press conference at Ciudad Real Madrid, on the eve of the LaLiga EA Sports 2025/2026 week 21 football match between Villarreal CF and Real Madrid CF. (Photo by Federico Titone/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Reports from Spain suggest Alvaro Arbeloa isn't too impressed with Trent Alexander-Arnold(Image: Getty Images)
This isn’t the first time Alexander-Arnold’s application has been questioned either. Just before he left Anfield, Arne Slot took a parting shot which may well go some way to explaining why he hasn’t hit the ground running in Spain.
"I talk to most players, not on a daily basis, but a lot," Slot said before the final game of last season.
"If there are circumstances why I should talk to them, you talk a bit more often to them. It's clear with Trent's situation that those circumstances are there for me to talk more with him than with Virgil [van Dijk], for example.
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"I am talking to him as a human being. That, combined with winning something together, creates a different bond to the one the fans have with him. I do talk to him, quite a lot actually — although, when we started pre-season, he was in my office quite a lot as well for other reasons."
Asked to press further on what he meant by that, Slot added: "He is going to leave either way so why not say it? Maybe it is a first gift I can give to Xabi Alonso!
“I wasn't completely happy with every minute of how he was on the training ground. In certain moments, I felt he could do a bit more, to say it mildly. That is what we talked about.
Trent Alexander-Arnold in casual attire strokes his goatee while he sits on the bench.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has had an injury-ravaged season since joining Real Madrid(Image: Getty Images)
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"I told him, 'you are a much better defender than people tell you, but you don't show it all the time.' I said, 'if you are at it and concentrated, there are not many players who can go around you'. Because he is fast, agile, has a great mentality but it is about showing that every single game."
Alexander-Arnold is once again out injured, but once he does return, he will have yet another manager that he needs to make a good first impression with after Slot and Alonso over the past year or so.
If he doesn’t get that right, then those rumors coming out of Spain could quickly become reality.