Retour
Liverpool have reportedly decided whether to pursue Trent Alexander-Arnold’s return to the club after Real Madrid made it clear they are open to selling the full-back at the right price.
Alexander-Arnold, 28, left Liverpool for Los Blancos in 2025, leaving his boyhood club under a cloud, with many supporters dismayed by his decision to leave, especially given the Reds had just been crowned Premier League champions.
And since arriving in the Spanish capital, things have not gone to plan for the Englishman, with multiple injuries interrupting his first season and reducing him to just 30 appearances in all competitions. From a collective point of view, Real disappointed and failed to win a trophy for the second year in a row.
The team’s shortcomings resulted in both Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa being sacked before Jose Mourinho rejoined the club, having previously taken charge between 2010 and 2013.
Mourinho’s Real currently trail La Liga leaders Barcelona by six points ahead of tomorrow’s El Clásico, with Alexander-Arnold seemingly third-choice right-back behind Denzel Dumfries and the usual midfielder Fede Valverde.
The England international has featured just six times so far this term, with three appearances coming from the start.
And his lack of minutes has left him with a decision to make about his future. Alexander-Arnold was previously linked with a move back to the Premier League last summer, with Newcastle and Liverpool among the clubs rumoured to be in for him. However, no move materialised.
Alexander-Arnold, who is under contract at Real until 2031, may soon be forced out of Los Blancos as the club look to cut their losses, with reports from Football Insider claiming the Spanish giants are open to selling him at the right price.
However, a return to Liverpool does not appear to be on the cards, with reports suggesting the Reds have decided against trying to sign the Scouser.
Journalist Peter O’Rourke explained: “I don't think there's anything concrete in that potential move back to Liverpool. There are always obvious links between Trent Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool... He was a great player for them before joining Real Madrid. He has struggled to hold down a regular place in the side this season under Jose Mourinho, with Valverde now being chosen ahead of him at right-back as well, so there'll always be speculation over his situation.”
Previous reports suggested Liverpool’s fellow English clubs Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea were keeping tabs on the 28-year-old.
Alexander-Arnold revealed that he had, in fact, visited the city of Liverpool to see his family since his move, maintaining that he still watches every game, as the club will always have a place in his heart.
“Since leaving for Real Madrid, I’ve been back to Liverpool to visit family on a number of occasions,” he told the Mirror earlier this year.
“I’ve bumped into lots of fellow Scousers and Reds when I’ve been on my travels. Not a single interaction I’ve had in person reflects the sort of stuff you get online or via social media. So that helps me disassociate from it.
“This isn’t me saying everyone in Liverpool is fine with me leaving the club. Of course they aren’t. But that’s very different from the stuff that goes beyond the football. It’s why I don’t allow myself to get too down about it and I don’t dwell on it.”
“I still watch every game,” he added. “I support them. I want to see them do well. I enjoy watching them, and there will always be a place in my heart for Liverpool, no matter what. It is home to me. It’s the place that gave me the opportunities to go and do what I’ve done and I will always love it. It’s always a place that I’ll call home.”
Trent also came on as a substitute for Real Madrid against Liverpool at Anfield during the 2025/26 Champions League.