Big things were expected of Trent Alexander-Arnold when he made the move from Liverpool to Real Madrid in the summer of 2025.

However, the Englishman failed to hit the heights expected of him in his opening campaign with the club. He played 30 times for Los Blancos in all competitions, recording five assists and failing to hit the back of the net, as he spent time in and out of the team.

Alexander-Arnold would have been hoping to nail down a starting berth when Jose Mourinho was appointed Real Madrid manager in the summer.

That has not been the case, though. Mourinho decided to strengthen his options at right-back as Real Madrid completed the signing of Netherlands star, Denzel Dumfries.

Trent now finds himself as Real Madrid's third-choice right-back, with Dumfries, as well as Federico Valverde, who is naturally a midfielder, ahead of him in the pecking order.

As a result, Trent has played just seven matches for a total of 345 minutes in all competitions for the Spanish giants this season. His lack of game-time has led to reports claiming that the 28-year-old is considering leaving in January. He's been linked with a sensational return to Liverpool.

Jose Mourinho Addresses Trent Alexander-Arnold's Future

Mourinho was asked about Alexnader-Arnold's future ahead of Real Madrid's clash against Racing Santander on Sunday afternoon.

He expressed his 'sadness' at the situation, but insisted that Alexander-Arnold will feature as the season goes on. He said, per AS:

"First of all, it hurts me. I don’t like creating bad feelings among players. I want to create good feelings.

"Obviously, when you build a squad around having two players for each position and then you play a third player there, it’s something I don’t like and it makes me sad.

"But there are other things that are more important than those feelings. Things that are more important for the team at a particular moment.

"And I thought that, right now, the right thing was to change the midfield and put Fede there. But I was thinking about the team, not individual players.

"Trent and Dumfries responded well when I explained that it was a decision made for the team, not against the players. Ultimately, they’ll all play. Tomorrow, Valverde won’t start and one of the other two will.

"Against Barcelona, because of the circumstances, Dumfries ended up playing and Trent got a few minutes. And I don’t think either of them is going to ask to leave.

"The demands of the season, with so many games and these ‘gifts,’ accumulated yellow cards, fatigue, the occasional injury... ultimately, everyone will play."

Mourinho's comments have sparked a lot of reaction on Reddit. A Liverpool fan said: "Still can't believe he just gave up the perfect fit for his team where he would have ended up being a captain and up there with Stevie G for this. It's sad stuff to be honest."

Another commented: "I understand having the desire to do something new so he left after winning it all with his boyhood club. Unfortunately for him, his trajectory is going more towards Owen rather than Beckham."

A third said: "If I was Trent I would pack my bags and leave," while a fourth stated: "I can’t remember genuinely another transfer that was so lose, lose, lose. It was bad for all three parties."

• May 2025 — Alexander-Arnold announced he would leave Liverpool after 20 years at the club.
• June 2025 — Real Madrid paid Liverpool €10m to sign him early on a six-year deal.
• June 2026 — Real Madrid appointed Jose Mourinho as head coach on a three-year contract.
• July 2026 — Madrid signed Denzel Dumfries from Inter, adding competition at right-back.
• October 2026 — Reports claimed Liverpool contacted his representatives over a January return.

Alexander-Arnold will be hoping to show what he can do when Real Madrid face Racing Santander on Sunday afternoon.