Liverpool information: Real Madrid make Trent Alexander-Arnold assertion as switch snub clear
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid future hangs in the balance as the La Liga giants gave an update on the struggling former Liverpool defender’s squad position
Trent Alexander-Arnold has endured a nightmare start at Real Madrid(Image: Getty Images)
Life at Real Madrid certainly hasn’t gone according to plan for ex-Liverpool favourite Trent Alexander-Arnold.
With February approaching, the 27-year-old has managed only 11 appearances in all competitions, with just six of those being from the starting XI. Fitness problems have plagued Alexander-Arnold’s Spanish adventure, with the defender suffering two muscle setbacks within just over a month. Given his injury woes, doubts are beginning to surface about whether his Madrid career might be finished before it truly began.
Conflicting stories from Spain have surfaced, with some claiming manager Alvaro Arbeloa has advised the defender to find a new club, whilst others suggest the England international still enjoys backing from the Spanish tactician.
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Yet the doubt surrounding his prospects has done nothing to ease the gloom at Anfield after their crushing 3-2 loss to Bournemouth at the weekend. Sitting sixth in the Premier League standings, Arne Slot’s team now face a real battle to secure Champions League qualification, particularly given the recent resurgence of Manchester United and Chelsea.
A crucial double fixture against Newcastle United and Manchester City, with a European encounter against Qarabag in between, could either derail or revive the Reds’ underwhelming campaign. Here, the Daily Star Sport looks at the newest transfer developments from Anfield, including a former target explaining why he rejected a switch to Merseyside.
Trent Alexander-Arnold squad update
The England international was last seen in action on December 3 during a 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, where he registered his sole goal contribution for his new side by setting up the opener in Kylian Mbappe’s brace. He managed only 55 minutes before suffering a left quadricep injury.
He’s subsequently been absent for nearly two months but has now returned to training, hoping to finally make his mark at the Santiago Bernabeu almost eight months after completing his £10million switch from Liverpool.
Madrid now head to Portugal to face Benfica on Wednesday in their final league phase encounter in the Champions League. Early reports suggested Alexander-Arnold could be out for up to two months, and it seems he’s still working on rebuilding his fitness levels.
When the club revealed their matchday squad for this week’s encounter in a fresh update on Tuesday afternoon, Alexander-Arnold was omitted. Whilst this is unlikely to suggest anything about his long-term future as a Real Madrid player, it does show the full-back has yet to demonstrate he’s ready to rejoin the first-team setup.
And with the World Cup approaching, he desperately needs playing time if he is to stand any chance of securing a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.
Guehi explains snub
England defender Marc Guehi came close to joining Liverpool on Deadline Day but the deal collapsed. In a crushing setback for the reigning Premier League champions, Guehi completed a £30million transfer to Manchester City last week.
Following his debut for the Citizens in their 2-0 victory over Wolves at the weekend, the 25-year-old disclosed that John Stones and Phil Foden were instrumental in persuading him to join City this month.
The signing has strengthened their prospects of reclaiming the league crown whilst easing concerns over injuries to the likes of Stones, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, leaving Liverpool short at the back after the defender chose to reject the chance to wait and see if Liverpool would restart talks for him. Speaking after the final whistle, Guehi said: “We’ve been talking for quite a while and obviously talked with different clubs.
“I felt from conversations, through talking with some of the players here, that this was the place for me to improve, to get better and just to help as much as possible. Phil and John, conversations with the manager, conversations with [director of football] Hugo [Viana], so it’s been great.”
