Trent Alexander-Arnold played every minute as Real Madrid beat Racing Santander 3-0 but media in Spain weren't entirely impressed

Trent Alexander-Arnold was still critiqued by media in Spain despite Real Madrid beating Racing Santander 3-0 on Sunday. The former Liverpool man has been told to "accept his status" as the third-choice right back or seek a transfer.

Since leaving Anfield for the Bernabeu in the summer of 2025, Alexander-Arnold has endured a tough time of it. He is yet to score for Los Blancos in 43 appearances and this season he's started just four games, registering one assist.

With Denzel Dumfries signed in the summer and midfielder Federico Valverde also seemingly ahead of him in the right-back pecking order, rumours about an exit have started to surface despite his contract ending in 2031. Last week, Reds icon Jamie Carragher even suggested that an effort should be made to bring the defender back to his boyhood team.

Manager Jose Mourinho showed rare faith in the 28-year-old as his side travelled to face Racing Santander on Sunday, with Valverde injured. They won 3-0 thanks to first-half goals from Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Yan Diomande.

Mourinho was pleased with the former Liverpool defender, saying post-match: "Trent was really good today. He hasn't played in a while and he comes out and drops a masterclass." However, despite keeping a clean sheet and making very few errors, media in Spain still think Alexander-Arnold is leaving a lot to be desired.

Mundo Deportivo

Most Real players impressed in Sunday's win. But using just one word to sum up how Alexander-Arnold played, Mundo Deportivo turned to the Spanish term, "fallon."

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This is a colloquial adjective that means faulty or unreliable. The publication also wrote: "He proved Mourinho right for preferring Valverde in his position because he was very inaccurate in his ball deliveries from the wing."

The Barcelona-based publication also had choice words for the penalty decision that allowed Mbappe to open the scoring. The Frenchman went down in the 10th minute after slight contact from Racing's Matteo Prati and a spot-kick was given by referee Munuera Montero.

The report continues: "Real Madrid, known for its tricks and shady deals, beat Racing with the help of the referee. They took the lead after a non-existent penalty was awarded to Mbappe, allowing them to control the game and secure their sixth consecutive victory between La Liga and the Champions League."

Cadena SER

Elsewhere, Alexander-Arnold's future was questioned on the Carrusel Deportivo radio show, airing on Cadena SER. One pundit sent the Englishman a message.

They stated: "If Trent Alexander-Arnold doesn't accept his status as third-choice right-back and opens the door, a transfer could be considered in the winter."

This contrasts with the way the same analyst spoke about the rest of Alexander-Arnold's team-mates: "This is the Real Madrid that everyone has been waiting for.

"The team has a grit it didn't have before. Today they got down to business in the first half. In the second half, they eased off because they didn't need to."

La Galerna

Local outlet La Galerna wasn't as bleak in its evaluation of how Alexander-Arnold played against Racing. But it was far from complimentary.

A report reads: "Okay. It's like those video game characters who can do a lot of damage to the opponent, but when they take even a small hit, they lose a lot of health."

But unlike other outlets, La Galerna did aim some criticism at the wider squad for their approach to the second half: "The second half was one to forget."