Liverpool FC head coach Andoni Iraola walks off the pitch after a preseason club friendly Premier League soccer match against Sunderland AFC, Saturday, July 25, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Liverpool FC head coach Andoni Iraola walks off the pitch after a preseason club friendly Premier League soccer match against Sunderland AFC, Saturday, July 25, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Liverpool have been backed to pursue an audacious bid to bring Trent Alexander-Arnold back to Anfield just one year after his departure to Real Madrid.
After 20 years at his boyhood club, Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool last summer to join Madrid on a free transfer.
However, the 27-year-old endured a difficult first season in the Spanish capital, with injuries and managerial changes limiting him to just 14 La Liga starts.
That form also ultimately saw Alexander-Arnold miss out on England’s World Cup squad, with Thomas Tuchel instead opting to name Reece James and Tino Livramento as the right-backs in his initial 26-man squad.
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Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Madrid over the summer means there is more change for Alexander-Arnold, with the Englishman also set for more competition after the arrival of Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan.
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And former Chelsea midfielder Andy Townsend believes Liverpool should try and capitalise on that uncertainty and lure the full-back back to Anfield this summer.
‘First and foremost, purely as a player, if he came back to Liverpool, would he improve them? One hundred per cent, yes,’ Townsend told talkSPORT.
FC Barcelona v Real Madrid CF - LaLiga EA Sports
Trent Alexander-Arnold had a difficult first season at Real Madrid (Picture: Getty)
‘Frimpong one, as a right back, I’ve not really got. It’s so important nowadays with these full backs being such an important part of a team’s attacking intentions. If you can’t deliver anything half decent when you get into a good area, and from what I’ve seen of him so far, I’ve not really seen that final delivery, which Trent can do in his sleep.
‘So, I think he absolutely would improve them. The question is how the club would feel about it. That’s going to be a difficult pill probably for some Liverpool fans to swallow.
New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has used Jeremie Frimpong and Calvin Ramsey at right-back so far in pre-season, with Conor Bradley still working his way back from a serious knee injury picked up in January.
Liverpool FC v Crystal Palace FC - Premier League
Alexander-Arnold spent 20 years at Liverpool (Picture: Getty)
But Townsend believes a short-term deal to bring Alexander-Arnold’s quality back to Liverpool could work best for both parties ahead of the new season.
‘Real Madrid have signed Denzel Dumfries from Inter, who would no doubt fit the profile a bit more for Jose Mourinho,’ he added.
‘They’ve got Valverde. They’ve got other players. They’ve got plenty of cover in that sort of area. So, if you’re Trent, at this stage of a pre-season, he will want to think he’s got every chance of starting and getting on with it.
[GIRONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 01: Arsenal FC Head Coach Mikel Arteta looks on prior to the pre-season friendly match between Girona FC and Arsenal FC at Montilivi Stadium on August 01, 2026 in Girona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
GIRONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 01: Arsenal FC Head Coach Mikel Arteta looks on prior to the pre-season friendly match between Girona FC and Arsenal FC at Montilivi Stadium on August 01, 2026 in Girona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)](https://metro.co.uk/2026/08/02/arsenal-make-approach-sign-chelsea-star-offer-pay-86m-29281760/)
‘But he doesn’t need another season like he had last time. That would have been a big disappointment to him. Secretly, he would have been a little hurt at the fact that it never happened, never really got going.
‘If Liverpool could get any deal done for him on a loan basis for a season, whatever those fees are nowadays, be it £5million, even £10m, I wouldn’t turn your nose up at that to get that boy back through the door, because he is top-drawer.’
At present, Liverpool appear to be prioritising a move for a new wide forward after the departure of Mohamed Salah.
The Reds have opened talks with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola, although it remains to be seen whether they will meet the £145million valuation to sign the French winger.
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KANSAS CITY, KANSAS - JULY 14: Marcus Rashford #11 of England looks on during an England Training session one day ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match on July 14, 2026 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS - JULY 14: Marcus Rashford #11 of England looks on during an England Training session one day ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match on July 14, 2026 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)