Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to reunited with a familiar Liverpool face as Real Madrid prepare to face Manchester City
Trent Alexander Arnold of Real Madrid
Former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to face Manchester City with Real Madrid(Image: Soccrates Images, Getty Images)
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Trent Alexander-Arnold is poised for a reunion with former Liverpool coach Pep Lijnders when Real Madrid take on Manchester City in the Champions League. Both teams are gearing up for the first leg of their round of 16 encounter at the Bernabeu.
The right-back left Liverpool and completed a transfer to Los Blancos last summer. Although Alexander-Arnold was instrumental for a successful Reds team, injuries have curtailed his influence during his first year in Spain.
There were rumours that the England international could leave Madrid at the end of the season but these suggestions have since been refuted. Having overcome his fitness problems, Alexander-Arnold has reclaimed his spot in the squad under manager Alvaro Arbeloa and is battling to start against City.
Pep Guardiola's assistant coach Lijnders knows Alexander-Arnold's game better than most. The Dutchman coached the full-back during his time in Liverpool's academy before further shaping him as part of the first team staff throughout most of Jurgen Klopp's reign at Anfield. Here, we examine the duo's relationship ahead of their Champions League showdown.
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Man City transfer links
Alexander-Arnold's challenging start to his debut season in Madrid sparked speculation about his future during the January transfer window. Reports from Spain indicated that new manager Arbeloa had advised the defender to consider leaving the club, with City being tentatively linked with a move for the former Liverpool player.
The 27-year-old revolutionised perceptions of the right-back role during his time in England. His partnership with Mohamed Salah helped Liverpool secure the Premier League, Champions League and numerous other major trophies.
While speculation about Alexander-Arnold's prospects in Madrid was disputed, he would have bolstered City's existing right-back options. The transfer also would have allowed him to reunite with Lijnders, who joined City's coaching team last summer.
Pep Guardiola and Pep Lijnders
Pep Lijnders joined Manchester City's coaching staff in the summer(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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Message from coach
Lijnders expressed his respect for Alexander-Arnold in his 2022 book Intensity – Inside Liverpool FC. The coach recounted his delight upon discovering the academy product had been selected for the club's new leadership group and shared his messages to Klopp about the young defender.
"Jurgen forwarded me a text with the result of the votes for the players' committee. There were three spots left behind our captain Hendo, vice-captain Milner and leader Virgil," Lijnders wrote. "I was delighted to discover that Trent was in! Our future captain was a step closer – he should now stay close to Milner to learn as much as possible during this year because it's the next step in his development. Robbo and Ali were the other two to make the players' committee.
"Trent had asked to meet me in pre-season for a chat and we sat together for an hour discussing his game. One of the main things he wanted to discuss as well was making sure me and Jurgen knew he wanted to be in now and not be missed out because he was young or maybe a bit less vocal before games than others. I replied to the boss, 'Trent is in, TOP, he represents so much of our club.'"
Trent Alexander-Arnold playing for Liverpool
Alexander-Arnold made 354 appearances for Liverpool(Image: James Baylis - AMA/Getty Images)
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New role
During his time as a Liverpool player, the club tested Alexander-Arnold advancing into midfield from full-back. The concept of the defender exploiting the half-spaces was devised by Klopp and his coaching staff during pre-season in 2021.
Alexander-Arnold had featured in midfield under Lijnders for Liverpool U16s. While shifting into the centre of the pitch didn't consistently deliver the right outcome, the assistant coach maintained that the full-back could still add new dimensions to his play.
"There's no limit to him," Lijnders said in 2022 at an event marking the release of his book. "I think it's really important for his game that he is close to Milly and Hendo and this leadership group. If you saw in pre-season, the games he played he has reached a new level in my opinion.
"The way he has dominated the right side both offensively and defensively, he is just remarkable. If I see this boy, he just makes me really proud because he trains the same way as when he was 15.
"The smile, the fire and our relationship is very strong. You don't have many captains in your life as a coach, hopefully - because if you have many it means you are at many different clubs and that's not a good sign - but the captains you have are really special because of the bond between a manager and a captain."
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