Trent Alexander-Arnold only left Liverpool last summer but speculation over his future at Real Madrid has been rife in recent days following claims he is not in the manager's plans
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold has endured a challenging maiden season with Real Madrid
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Less than 12 months on from his high-profile Liverpool exit, Trent Alexander-Arnold's future is once again a red-hot topic of debate amid conflicting claims about his status at Real Madrid.
The England star, 27, was pursued by the Spanish giants for months as he ran his contract down at Anfield. And the worst kept secret in football was finally made official last June when Los Blancos paid £10million to sign him before he became a free agent to ensure he could represent them at the Club World Cup.
Unfortunately for Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid things haven't quite worked out. He struggled to nail down a regular starting position under Xabi Alonso during the first half of the season and has not featured at all since December due to injury.
There were claims last week that Alexander-Arnold had been told he was not in the plans of Real's new head coach, Alvaro Arbeloa, after the former Liverpool right-back stepped in to lead the team following Alonso's departure earlier this month.
There have since been reports, though, outlining that is not the case and that the club retain faith in Alexander-Arnold.
Such speculation has prompted talk that the Liverpool academy graduate could seek a return to Merseyside sooner rather than later - and he would likely be welcomed back if that were to be the case.
Alexander-Arnold
Mo Salah and Liverpool stars have shown support to Alexander-Arnold since his exit(Image: Getty Images)
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Mohamed Salah was among the Liverpool stars to show support to Alexander-Arnold when his switch to Madrid finally went through. On an Instagram post of Alexander-Arnold in his new kit with the caption "Family is everything", Liverpool's talisman responded with two red hearts.
Alexander-Arnold, who struck up a telepathic understanding with Salah on Liverpool's right-hand side under Jurgen Klopp, returned the favour on a post from the Egyptian earlier this season when he shared a post outlining his outrageous stats following his explosive interview where he spoke out against Arne Slot. Alexander-Arnold commented the goat emoji, making his thoughts on Salah crystal clear.
While talk of a Liverpool return may be romantic, Alexander-Arnold will be laser-focused on staking a claim for a regular berth in Arbeloa's team as he closes in on a return to fitness, though it remains to be seen if he will make his comeback in Wednesday night's Champions League fixture with Benfica.
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