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There was a lot of emotion, from both sides, when Trent Alexander-Arnold opted to leave Liverpool and join Real Madrid last summer.
It was a very testing debut season for the right-back, who was part of utter chaos in Madrid, including the sacking of now-Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso and infighting.
But with Jose Mourinho now in the Madrid dugout, added to the legendary boss opting against using Alexander-Arnold at all during their win over Sevilla at the weekend, Steve Nicol feels there is now ‘regret’ in the air for the Englishman.
Speaking on ESPN, the Liverpool legend thinks that Alexander-Arnold, right at this moment, ‘regrets’ leaving his boyhood club for the Spanish giants.
READ MORE:Liverpool may have to manage until the international break without Dominik Szoboszlai: Here’s how they do it
Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz have both made an impact in the last two Liverpool games! Have you seen enough to suggest the pair can thrive at Anfield?
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Not sure about both considering the expectations and price tags. Think Barcola will be good and Wirtz im not sold on. Still, if they both click, they have huge potential so I can understand giving them time
Two massive talents. Still confident Wirtz will be a top player, he's too talented not to
Love what im seeing from Barcola, needs to be more clinical but i think that'll come
Steve Nicol says Trent Alexander-Arnold would ‘walk’ back into Liverpool XI
It needs to be noted that Alonso signed Alexander-Arnold, while Mourinho was the one who brought in Denzel Dumfries from Inter this summer.
But neither were picked to play at right-back over the weekend. Instead, the versatile Madrid skipper Federico Valverde started in that role, with Éder Militão coming off the bench towards the end.
Nicol explained that if Alexander-Arnold, who saw out his contract at Anfield after winning the Premier League title under Arne Slot, was still on Merseyside, he would be ‘playing every week.’
“I would be really surprised if he didn’t regret leaving Liverpool now,” said Nicol. “No, you don’t (have to always answer if Real Madrid come calling).
“Let’s get this clear, right? If he were at Liverpool, he would be playing every week. But he’s not; he’s at Real Madrid, and he is playing very rarely. How would he not regret being at Madrid?
“He has won everything; he hasn’t got time to learn anymore. He needs to be playing. He would walk back into the Liverpool team now.
“The question is. Right now, ‘What is he thinking?’ He is probably regretting it.”
Alexander-Arnold’s game time since leaving Liverpool for Madrid
Madrid is an emotional beast. Everything, good, bad and ugly, involved an overreaction of some sort. The fact that Alexander-Arnold didn’t win anything in his first season will hurt.
But it will be far, far worse if that trend continues under Mourinho this season. And remember, he doesn’t do things lightly.
Either way, while Alexander-Arnold was a key player for the Reds, it’s not the same for those in all white, including waiting for his first goal for Madrid.