Liverpool agreement already reached as Trent Alexander-Arnold 'told to find new club'

Trent Alexander-Arnold is already being linked with a move away from Real Madrid, with reports in Spain claiming the former Liverpool star has been told he needs to leave in the summer

Trent Alexander-Arnold has reportedly been told to find a new club in the summer(Image: Getty Images)

When Trent Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool for Real Madrid last summer, he can’t have imagined that he’d be told to find a new club less than a year later.

That, though, is the position that he finds himself in, at least according to reports coming out of Spain. El Nacional claims that new coach Alvaro Arbeloa has already told the right-back that he isn’t part of his plans, and that Real is ready to sanction a move away for him in the summer.

It would be pretty drastic conclusion for the Spanish giant to come to after what has been a tough start to life in Madrid for Alexander-Arnold.

Having not left Anfield on the best of terms after running his contract down, Alexander-Arnold’s first outings for his new club were met with harsh reviews, and just as he looked to be finding his feet at the Club World Cup, injury ended his tournament prematurely.

The 27-year-old has faced ongoing problems with his fitness throughout this season, and even when he has been fit, he hasn’t been assured of a spot in Xabi Alonso’s side. With the former Liverpool midfielder now gone, it seems as though things may have got even worse for Alexander-Arnold.

Then again, things haven’t been great for his former club either. After claiming the Premier League title last season, the Reds have endured a poor follow-up campaign, with hopes of defending their crown already long gone.

Pundits have suggested Liverpool has been missing Trent Alexander-Arnold following his exit in the summer(Image: )

Plenty of questions have been asked about why Arne Slot’s side has not lived up to expectations, especially after spending big last summer, and some pundits have pointed to Alexander-Arnold’s departure as one of the main reasons for their struggles.

"In terms of creativity, as much as anything else, I think they're really missing Trent," Gary Lineker theorized on The Rest Is Football back in October. "Before that, sometimes Trent would go forward and they would, perhaps, get exposed defensively.

"But what he gives you going the other way, it's impossible to replace. There is not another player I can think of in world football who plays that position [right-back] in the way that he plays it offensively.

"I also think that Mo [Salah] is missing him, that connection that they had. Yes, sometimes they would get exposed in behind, but they would have someone try and cover that position - last season it was mostly [Dominik] Szoboszlai, previous to that would be Jordan Henderson.

"You've got to say it was worth his weight in gold going forward, and I always used to say, 'Stop worrying about him [Alexander-Arnold] making the odd tiny mistake defensively, because what he gives you the other way is incredible."

Lineker’s views have since been echoed by Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher. The former defender has been more outspoken than most pundits on Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave Anfield, having questioned his motives, although he also feels that it can’t be denied that the Reds have felt his absence.

“You can see how much Liverpool have missed him, not just missing him at right-back but missing his creativity all over the pitch,” Carragher told The Athletic in November.

Jamie Carragher is among those who feels Liverpool has missed Trent Alexander-Arnold this season(Image: 2025 Getty Images)

“He’s a fantastic player, which is why Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world, wanted to sign him.

“He had that great combination with Salah, who this season has the knock-on effect of not having Trent behind him. He’s a wonderful player technically, and also one of the best passers in world football.”

Although his impact upon Liverpool is clear, it seems Alexander-Arnold still has a long way to go to win over his doubters in Madrid - that’s if he gets the opportunity to prove them wrong.

El Nacional’s report claims that Arbeloa has no plans to give the England international any game time. A return to the Premier League is touted, with Liverpool inevitably discussed as a possible landing spot, although the reception he got upon his return to Anfield a couple of months ago would suggest supporters aren’t missing him as much as his former teammates are.