Real Madrid bench Trent Alexander-Arnold as Premier League clubs circle
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The gist
Real Madrid right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has made just three LaLiga starts this season under José Mourinho.
Premier League clubs are monitoring him, with Madrid reportedly setting a £50m exit price.
Background
Trent Alexander-Arnold is an England international right-back who came through Liverpool's ranks and made 354 appearances before leaving for Real Madrid in 2025, a move that proved controversial among sections of Liverpool fans. At Madrid he has fallen behind in the pecking order: Federico Valverde mostly played ahead of him last season, and head coach José Mourinho signed Denzel Dumfries this summer to play ahead of him. With his game time limited, reports have linked him with a return to England.
How it unfolded
- 2025Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool ahead of his contract expiry; Real Madrid paid around £10m (€10m) to sign him early so he could play at the Club World Cup.
- Oct 19, 2026A TEAMtalk report said Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid were both considering parting ways. He was an unused substitute in Madrid's 4-1 home win over Sevilla, the fourth time in the league this season he was left on the bench.
- Oct 20, 2026ESPN reported Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City are monitoring his situation, per TEAMtalk, with the 27-year-old frustrated by limited playing time under Mourinho.
- Oct 22, 2026FourFourTwo reported Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City could compete with Liverpool for his signature, and that he is weighing up a return to the Premier League.
- Oct 24, 2026Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke reported Alexander-Arnold is not a target for Liverpool at this moment, while Football365 reported Real Madrid have opened the door to offloading him with an exit price of £50m.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Journalist Pete O'Rourke said there is nothing concrete in a potential move back to Liverpool, and that Alexander-Arnold has struggled to hold down a regular place under Mourinho.
- Caution
- Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore said Alexander-Arnold has an image problem as a weak defender and would need to be a better defensive right-back to get back into Liverpool's thinking.
- Expert
- Former Manchester City player Kyle Walker said Alexander-Arnold will need to look elsewhere if he wants to return to the Premier League.
- Party
- Chelsea reporter Simon Phillips said Chelsea are at the front of the queue, partly because manager Xabi Alonso wants to reunite with Alexander-Arnold in London.
Still unverified
Reports of Premier League interest and a possible return are described as speculation; O'Rourke said there is nothing concrete in a potential move back to Liverpool. The claim that Chelsea are at the front of the queue comes from Chelsea reporter Simon Phillips.