Pundit Dean Saunders has backed Real Madrid star Trent Alexander-Arnold to return to Liverpool, and Fabrizio Romano has revealed an update.

Alexander-Arnold left his boyhood club, Liverpool, ahead of his contract’s expiry in 2025 and joined Real Madrid for around £8.5m.

The England international did not depart with the blessing of supporters and it proved an ugly exit for the defender, who has also had a difficult 18 months at Real Madrid as he has struggled for game time.

Without Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool have had issues at right-back and it has been suggested that they could reunite in the coming months.

And former Liverpool star Saunders thinks Liverpool’s supporters would welcome Alexander-Arnold’s return.

“I think Liverpool fans would absolutely have Trent Alexander-Arnold back at the club,” Saunders said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.

“Liverpool played with eight different right-backs last season, including Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboslai, Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong, Ryan Gravenberch, and it was quite obvious at the start of the season that Trent was the reason why Liverpool used to make so many chances, he was like a quarterback.

“Salah definitely would have missed him. He could hit a 50-yard ball onto Diaz’s chest. He played in-field didn’t he, and Salah played outside him. Then Frimpong signed, and he’s playing outside Salah, on the touchline high and wide.

“Liverpool lost a lot when he left. But the obvious question mark is his defending, but then you ask, who’s a better defender than him, none of them are the best defenders.

“When I was watching the game against Arsenal and there were 10 minutes to go, Rio Ngumoha came on on the right, with Victor Munoz behind him – I just thought Liverpool were missing that quality ball from Trent – he’s irreplaceable.”

Fabrizio Romano reveals truth on Trent Alexander-Arnold to Liverpool

“The reality, guys, behind the scenes is quite different,” Romano explained.

“First of all, let me clarify links between Trent and Liverpool for a potential comeback are completely out of mark in the sense that Liverpool never started any kind of concrete or serious conversation to bring Trent Alexander-Arnold back to the club. First point.

“Second point. In general, about Trent Alexander-Arnold returning to the Premier League or leaving Real Madrid in any case – that’s not something that Trent is planning for the January transfer window or Real Madrid either.

“So, at the moment, Trent and Real Madrid plan to continue together at least, at least until the end of the season.

“And in reality, the feeling from both sides is that they want to continue together for the long term.”