Trent Alexander-Arnold continues to be linked with an Anfield return, but former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore believes the England international has work to do if he wants to earn that move back to Merseyside

Ex-Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold remains the subject of speculation regarding a potential Anfield comeback following a difficult spell at Real Madrid, though one former Red believes he must demonstrate improvement before earning such a transfer.

Alexander-Arnold departed Liverpool during the summer of 2025, joining forces with Xabi Alonso at the Bernabeu. However, Alonso has since moved on from the Spanish capital, with Alvaro Arbeloa temporarily assuming control before Jose Mourinho succeeded him ahead of the current campaign.

The right-back has avoided the injury problems that hampered his debut season in Spain, but has found playing time hard to come by under Mourinho.

He is yet to feature in consecutive league fixtures this term and has accumulated fewer than 400 minutes in total, with recent signing Denzel Dumfries frequently favored by the Portuguese manager. Former Liverpool forward Stan Collymore envisages Alexander-Arnold potentially departing the Bernabeu should his situation fail to improve before May.

Nevertheless, he suggests the England international must demonstrably enhance the defensive aspects of his game if he hopes to convince Andoni Iraola to sanction his return to Merseyside — or at minimum, alter perceptions surrounding that facet of his play.

"I could see Trent moving at the end of the season, but I think if he's going to get back into our consciousness, he's got to be a better defensive right back," Collymore told Betarades.gr.

"I don't think he's as poor a defensive right back as we make him out, but perception is everything, and if the public and coaches like Mourinho think he's a one or a two out of 10 defender, but he's an eight or a nine out of 10 attacker, he's got to find a balance between being a seven or eight out of 10 going forward, but he's also seven or eight out of 10 at defending.

"The thing with Trent is that he's got an image problem that he's a two out of 10 defender, but an eight out of 10 attacker.

"The only way that he's ever gonna get round that now is by putting in for club or for country, 10-15 or even 20 performances, where if it's Marca or whether it's L'Equipe... or lots of different websites, they say that Trent for Real Madrid or Trent for England was exceptional defensively.

"Dumfries isn't a better footballer than Trent, but Mourinho will say Dumfries can cover, Dumfries can track back, and they're going to be playing very big games in Europe, and he will want his team to be keeping clean sheets first and foremost."

Alexander-Arnold's former England teammate Kyle Walker has offered a somewhat different perspective on the prospect of the 28-year-old's Premier League return.

The Burnley man told talkSPORT he could envisage the Real Madrid star heading back to England, but suggested the circumstances of his Anfield departure could complicate any potential reunion.

"I am surprised [at his lack of minutes in Spain], but I'm not surprised," Walker said. "I feel that the way Trent played for Liverpool was very special. I feel some of the things that he did, being a boy of club, loving the club as much as he did and having Mo Salah in front of you helps an enormous amount."

When asked about a return to England, Walker added: "Why not? Can he go back to Liverpool with the way that he left? I'm not too sure."