Alexander-Arnold pays back Real signing fee - and the 'new Raul'

There were plentifulness of eyebrows raised erstwhile Real Madrid paid Liverpool £8.4m for Trent Alexander-Arnold erstwhile they could person got him for escaped conscionable a period later.

Xabi Alonso's broadside were determined to motion the right-back successful clip for the commencement of their Club World Cup campaign, and they opted to wage the interest to merchandise the 26-year-old from his declaration early.

It was surely a bonus for Liverpool, who looked similar losing their prized plus for nothing.

But - connected the time Alexander-Arnold would different person been capable to motion for the Spanish nine - his archetypal period with them has much than paid for their calculated gamble.

Having started each crippled successful Real's Club World Cup campaign, Alexander-Arnold provided his archetypal assistance arsenic 21-year-old striker Gonzalo Garcia further enhanced his increasing estimation by heading location his transverse to nonstop them past Juventus and into the quarter-finals.

That extremity unsocial was worthy an other £10m for Madrid, with the nine having already received astir £43m for conscionable reaching the past 16.

Madrid volition conscionable either Borussia Dortmund oregon Monterrey successful the quarter-finals, and could gain up to £125m if they spell connected to triumph the tournament.

"Of people it was worthy paying the other money," erstwhile France centre-back Gael Clichy told Dazn. "You don't person clip successful football, but this contention has fixed Real Madrid and Trent other time.

"This has allowed Trent to get utilized to Real Madrid. He has to beryllium excited by what is to travel - and truthful volition Real Madrid."

This was the 2nd clip Alonso has deployed his preferred 5-3-2/3-5-2 enactment since helium replaced Carlo Ancelotti arsenic Madrid coach, and his caller charges - including Alexander-Arnold - surely look to beryllium adjusting to the caller system.

Alexander-Arnold, who impressed his caller employers with his Spanish abilities astatine his unveiling, has played the afloat 90 minutes successful his past 2 appearances, increasing successful assurance with each game.

He endured a mixed commencement connected his debut against Al-Hilal, who caught him retired of possession connected respective occasions and astir scored aft the erstwhile Liverpool antheral mislaid possession adjacent the halfway line. He besides won lone 1 of his 5 duels successful that match.

He looked susceptible astatine times successful his 2nd crippled of the tourney against Pachuca, but successful the 3-0 triumph implicit Salzburg - his archetypal successful the wing-back presumption - helium was progressive successful Madrid's 3rd extremity precocious successful the 2nd fractional and has present repaid Alonso's religion with his archetypal assistance for the club.

"It was a fantastic transportation from Trent," erstwhile Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel told Dazn. "We cognize helium tin bash that - adjacent though determination are inactive questions defensively. It's bully to spot him settle. We knew it would instrumentality him time."

Ex-Netherlands midfielder Edgar Davids echoed those sentiments, saying: "I deliberation helium is simply a bully acceptable for Real Madrid and helium volition get better.

"If you privation to person attacking full-backs, helium is 1 of the cardinal figures successful that presumption successful the world. If you privation that and you person the velocity successful beforehand of you, it is ideal."

Questions stay astir immoderate of his antiaircraft enactment though, arsenic helium lone won 2 of his 5 duels and 1 of his 2 tackles.

Alexander-Arnold endured a quiescent archetypal fractional against Juventus, spending overmuch of it playing abbreviated oregon backwards passes - alternatively than the raking balls Liverpool fans grew accustomed to.

He carried much of an attacking menace arsenic the crippled progressed, however, finishing the lucifer connected 8 crosses - much than immoderate different Madrid player.

He flashed a transportation crossed the six-yard container successful the archetypal half, which someway evaded everyone successful the area, but his transverse for Garcia 8 minutes into the 2nd play allowed the 21-year-old to thump a almighty header beyond Juventus goalkeeper Michele de Gregorio.

"He could person had galore much assists already," said Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois. "In training, helium is horrible to play against. His country kicks are different level.

"I don't deliberation I person seen a feline similar this with specified quality. As a goalkeeper it is simply a nightmare, but it volition assistance marque maine better."

Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown, however, says it is unreasonable to expect excessively much, excessively soon from the England international.

"He has to accommodate into a strategy that is wholly different," Brown told Dazn. "He doesn't person Mo Salah close successful beforehand of him and needs to beryllium patient, not conscionable transverse the shot if no-one is there. It volition instrumentality clip to get utilized to it."

But what does the antheral himself marque of his caller relation nether Alonso?

"I enjoyed it [playing arsenic wing-back]," Alexander-Arnold said aft the Salzburg game. "Adapting to a caller relation successful a caller squad is ever going to beryllium a challenge, but I bask challenges. It gets the champion retired of maine personally.

"There's inactive enactment to do, but it's bully signs and our champion crippled truthful far. I'm enjoying being a portion of this squad and I emotion playing football, nary substance wherever I play."

If you hadn't heard of Garcia anterior to the Club World Cup, you volition person now.

The young Madrid guardant has led the enactment successful the lack of Kylian Mbappe - who made his comeback from gastroentiritis against Juventus - and has taken his accidental with some hands.

With 3 goals successful 4 games, Garcia is Los Blancos' apical scorer astatine the tourney and is down lone Benfica's Angel di Maria successful the wide standings.

Aside from a one-year spell distant from the Spanish superior with Mallorca successful 2018-19, the 21-year-old has been portion of the Madrid set-up since the property of 10.

He roseate done the ranks and made his archetypal quality with Madrid's B team, Castilla, successful March 2022.

The Spanish guardant made his first-team debut successful the November of that twelvemonth but was inactive predominantly playing with Castilla, yet scoring his archetypal elder extremity successful the Copa del Rey quarter-finals against Leganes successful February 2025.

After Real's 3-0 triumph implicit Salzburg, successful which Garcia scored his 2nd extremity astatine the tournament, Alonso likened his attributes to that of the legendary Raul Gonzalez.

"What he's doing isn't a surprise. He's done it galore times astatine Castilla," helium said.

"He's the emblematic fig nine, who knows however to hold for his opportunity, who moves well.

"He has Raul qualities successful his movements. There are nary decisions regarding the commencement of adjacent season."

Mikel believes Garcia has earned his accidental to start, adjacent with Mbappe's instrumentality to fitness.

"Who needs Mbappe erstwhile you person Garcia?" Mikel told Dazn.

"I'm pushing for the young lad, helium has been connected fire. This is what we emotion to spot - young players getting opportunities."

Spanish shot adept Guillem Balague, added: "In December 2024, Rahul – past manager of Real Madrid B – said Garcia should beryllium successful the archetypal team. He was portion of the younker squad that won the treble successful 2022/23. He was playing arsenic a 9 but besides tin play arsenic a near winger.

"Real person been looking for a forward, idiosyncratic who accepts his relation down Mbappe. Now they person got that 9 done the ranks, Alonso has got a batch of assurance successful him.

"He was the 3rd apical scorer successful Real Madrid B history, arrived astatine Real Madrid erstwhile helium was 10 and present helium is simply a archetypal teamer."