Trent Alexander-Arnold could be losing out massively in Spain this season
Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has received verdict from the Spanish media(Image: LOF/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
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Trent Alexander-Arnold looks to have lost his starting berth at Real Madrid with Denzel Dumfries impressing on his La Liga debut. The former Liverpool defender joined the Spanish giants as a free agent last summer and initially struggled to impress.
Across his first full season, Alexander-Arnold made 36 appearances and assisted seven times. The 27-year-old also had injury issues throughout, missing 22 games in total with a muscle tear and hamstring problems.
And the right-back could face another struggle this season after Jose Mourinho made his return to Real, rejoining the Spanish giants in the summer. One of his first moves in the transfer market has been to sign Dumfries, who arrived in a £17.1m (€20m) deal from Inter Milan.
Now, several Spanish media outlets have given their verdict on Alexander-Arnold's return to La Liga action against Espanyol on Saturday. Real won 2-1 with goals from Jude Bellingham and Carlos Espi.
Alexander-Arnold was substituted on in the 80th minute and received a mild reception from the Spanish media. Here, the ECHO takes a look at the reaction in Spain, as local media suggested he may now be Jose Mourinho's second-choice right-back.
Marca
Marca gave the defender a 5/10 rating, stating he came on because Real needed "much more in attack."
The same outlet's rating of Dumfries read: "Dumfries goes all out and takes down Dolan. He lowered his center of gravity, stuck out his leg, and the interception was top-class. Defensively, he's a marvel. He's replaced by Trent in the 80th minute. A good league game from the Dutchman. Far superior defensively... but a bit more lost in attack, although he tried throughout."
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AS
Meanwhile, AS believed that the England international was brought on to "try and find Espi" with his accurate crosses. However, the defender was "hardly involved" and didn't meet the media outlet's expectations.
But again, it was the rating of Dumfries that will be worrying for Alexander-Arnold. It read: "A starter in the first game of the season, he's ahead of Trent in the pecking order. And he justifies it with his performances: he's intense defensively and, above all, he attacks with great enthusiasm. On a day like this, when Güler was playing as a winger but with a strong presence centrally, it was crucial that the Dutchman push forward down the flanks. He made several dangerous runs into the opposition's penalty area. And defensively, he was crucial in some situations towards the end."
Mundo Deportivo
Mundo Deportivo claimed that new manager Jose Mourinho "prefers Dumfries" over Alexander-Arnold and signed him this summer to be his "replacement" in the starting XI. They added that the defender will be looked upon as an "alternate" in the squad when the Real boss is looking for something different to change the game.
Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Trent Alexander-Arnold came on late in the second-half(Image: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Sport
Sport agreed that Dumfries "won the starting spot" battle against Alexander-Arnold but added that his role in the squad "depends" on what Mourinho wants from his team this season. However, the news outlet was the most complimentary toward the Englishman, stating that he was "trying to get involved" and "provide quality" for Espi.
Denzel Dumfries.
It looks like Denzel Dumfries has stolen the starting berth(Image: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
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The report added Alexander-Arnold will be "more effective" centrally, suggesting Mourinho could shape the 27-year-old into a more central player this year.
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