Menacing reports in the Spanish press are trying to drum up more trouble for Trent Alexander-Arnold by claiming that an unimpressed Thibaut Courtois has explained to club bosses why he ‘doesn’t want’ the former Liverpool man to play for Real Madrid any longer, and with a rival report claiming the Spanish giants now planned to sign a former star as a replacement.
The 27-year-old full-back quit boyhood club Liverpool at the end of last season to join Real Madrid at the end of his contract; the move completed what had effectively been the worst-kept secret in football at the time.
However, the move to Spain has now gone as planned, and a difficult transition to the Spanish game has failed to see Alexander-Arnold performing anywhere near his best. Indeed, with his time in the Spanish capital so far punctuated by a series of niggling injuries, the 34-times capped England star has managed just two assists across 16 appearances so far.
With the Spanish media seemingly on the England star’s back and with patience seemingly waring thin, a damaging new report has now dragged Courtois into the equation by alleging that the former Chelsea keeper ‘doesn’t want’ the former Liverpool star to ‘continue playing for Real Madrid’ as his defensive work is a ‘serious drawback’, with it noted that he ‘takes away more than he adds’ and ‘it’s like having 10 players’ when he is on the pitch.
It must be stressed that the report, which cannot be substantiated by more recognisable sources, goes on to state that Courtois, seen as ‘one of the most respected voices in the dressing room’ is ‘not entirely convinced about Alexander-Arnold’s place as the starting right-back’.
They claim the former Reds’ star’s defensive impact, or lack of, is causing more problems than anticipated, while suggesting that there’s ‘a feeling within the team that the balance suffers when the Englishman plays’.
The report concludes that while the debate ‘isn’t about the player’s attacking talent’, but ‘rather what happens when the team has to defend under the most demanding circumstances.’
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Report claims Real Madrid want to re-sign right-back
It’s certainly not the first time Alexander-Arnold has come under fire in the Spanish press, nor will it be the last, and while he has time to get both fans and the media onside, he would not be the first English star to fail with Real.
Indeed, speculation linking Alexander-Arnold with a return to the Premier League had emerged just a few months into his time at the Bernabeu and continues to gain column inches in Spain.
To that end, while sources do firmly deny all talk that Liverpool could look to bring the player back, we understand that Manchester City are among the clubs keeping a close watch on his situation.
Either way, the right-back conundrum continues to pose issues for Los Blancos, regardless of what the future holds for the 27-year-old. And with the club’s long-standing defensive pillar, Dani Carvajal, out of contract at the Bernabeu this summer and now looking increasingly likely to leave, the Spanish giants continue to be linked with a high-quality replacement for the long-serving Spain star.
As a result, Defensa Central now claims that PSG superstar Achraf Hakimi is willing to leave PSG for Madrid this summer and replace Carvajal in the squad.
The Real Madrid-centric news outlet, which is often speculative and whose reports need to be taken with a pinch of salt, has claimed that the Morocco full-back is willing to take a pay cut and do whatever it takes’ to play for Madrid.
The 27-year-old, in the news for this week after it was revealed he will stand trial against alleged rape allegations, ‘is waiting for a call from Real Madrid to return’ to Estadio Bernabeu, per the report.
And they claim that Hakimi, who came through Los Blancos’ youth academy and broke into the first team, has ‘one burning desire’ and that is ‘to play for Real Madrid’.
The report, though, has added that Hakimi is ‘very happy’ at PSG, which suggests that he is not going to push for an exit.
Hakimi signed a new deal with PSG in February 2025 and is under contract at the French giants until the summer of 2029.
Real Madrid latest: Klopp talk explodes; agent drops Florian Wirtz bombshell
Meanwhile, speculation that Jurgen Klopp is to become Real Madrid boss is gathering pace after a report claimed the German is to step down from his role with Red Bull – and with the group already identifying a Premier League manager as his natural successor.
Elsewhere, Fabrizio Romano has opened up on speculation thatChelsea could lure one of Real Madrid’s most respected midfielders to Stamford Bridge this summerin a big-money deal.
In other news, the agent of Florian Wirtz has openly admitted he’ll attempt to transfer his client to Real Madrid, and he’s even hinted the German star himself is dreaming of the transfer after a somewhat topsy-turvy first season on Merseyside since his record-breaking move from Bayer Leverkusen.
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