Liverpool have suffered a blow in their quest to bring Trent Alexander-Arnold to Anfield in the January transfer window, with Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho confident that the right-back will not ask to leave the Bernabeu in the middle of the season.

On October 29, Cadena SER reported that Liverpool want to sign Alexander-Arnold on a loan deal.

‘Trent could be back… home: Liverpool enquire about him and Real Madrid are concerned about his relationship with Bellingham’, stated the headline in the report.

Alexander-Arnold joined Madrid from Liverpool in the summer of 2025.

Liverpool target January deal for Trent Alexander-Arnold

The England international right-back had injury concerns last season and is now essentially the third-choice right-back under Mourinho.

Mourinho has been playing Federico Valverde as a right-back in recent games, despite the Uruguay international being a midfielder by trade.

Denzel Dumfries, who joined Madrid from Inter Milan in the summer of 2026, is the second-choice right-back.

Cadena SER reported: ‘The English club has already begun sounding out its fans and the player’s entourage about a possible offer to Real Madrid for his return, initially on loan, during the upcoming winter transfer window.’

Journalist Pacojo Delgado added on SER Deportivos: “My bet is that Liverpool will push hard.

“And my bet is that Mourinho wants Pedro Porro in return, a player Deco also wants at Barca. But that’s just my prediction.”

The report also noted: ‘There are two problems with his return home.

‘First, the Englishman’s salary isn’t exactly small, although Liverpool has the money.

‘And second, Jude Bellingham has a very close relationship with Trent, and the club wouldn’t want to make a move that would disrupt the outstanding season the Real Madrid number 5 is having.’

Despite the speculation, Mourinho does not think that Alexander-Arnold will want to leave Real Madrid in the middle of the season.

Jose Mourinho wants Trent Alexander-Arnold stay at Real Madrid

AS has quoted Mourinho as saying ahead of Real Madrid’s LaLiga game against Racing Santander on Sunday: “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.

“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.

“I don’t think we’ll have that kind of situation.”