Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Madrid has not gone as planned, and by all accounts, he’s struggling to settle into life in the Spanish capital. The Liverpool academy graduate’s start at his new club has been nothing short of disappointing; he’s barely featuring in games and is finding it hard to nail down a spot in the starting eleven.
Initially, Alexander-Arnold was replaced by Dani Carvajal in the line-up. There was hope that when Carvajal picked up an injury, Alexander-Arnold—now back from his own fitness issues—would seamlessly return to the team. However, that’s not been the case. Instead, manager Xabi Alonso has opted to use Federico Valverde in the right-back role, favouring the Uruguayan over the England international.
This lack of game time has had further consequences. Alexander-Arnold hasn’t made the latest England squad, and when Real Madrid visited Anfield, he endured the frustration of warming the bench for the majority of the match. To make matters worse, he was booed by sections of the crowd when coming on for the final ten minutes.
It’s fair to say the situation has been nothing short of an embarrassment for a player of his calibre. Of course, there’s still time for Alexander-Arnold to turn things around. He’s undoubtedly a generational talent, capable of being one of the best in the world. But right now, frustration is growing.
According to a report by El Nacional, Alexander-Arnold reportedly feels betrayed and misled by Alonso, who had initially promised him a starting position. The same report claims that Alonso appears not to trust Alexander-Arnold’s abilities, leading to ‘considerable unease’ for the player. With so much uncertainty around his role at the club, his concern about the future is understandable.
This situation is a stark reminder that life away from Liverpool—and the decision to move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs—isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Whether Alexander-Arnold will ultimately regret the move remains to be seen. As mentioned, he still possesses the quality required to turn the situation on its head, but for now, the road is proving much bumpier than expected.
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/trent-alexander-arnold-betrayed-real-221000659.html
