No one was surprised when Trent Alexander-Arnold announced on social media on May 5 that he would be leaving Liverpool when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Football’s most open secret is that the 26-year-old has agreed to a transfer to Real Madrid ahead of the upcoming season, even if his farewell post did not specify which team he would join when he leaves his boyhood team.
However, Alexander-Arnold might be lining up in their iconic all-white uniform far earlier than that if the 15-time European champions have their way.
The Telegraph claims that Madrid will approach Liverpool in an attempt to negotiate an earlier-than-expected departure for the star full-back so that he can join them for their FIFA Club World Cup campaign in the United States, which will start on June 18 against Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in the group stage.
Liverpool may be persuaded to comply with Madrid’s outrageous demand by the possibility of saving almost a month’s worth of the player’s wage, although it is unclear yet.
However, what effect would Alexander-Arnold have if he joins Real Madrid in time for the Club World Cup?
Dani Carvajal, an experienced player, will be Alexander-Arnold’s primary positional opponent when he moves to the Bernabeu for the 2025–26 La Liga and Champions League seasons.
Throughout his career, the 36-year-old Spain international has won four La Liga championships and six Champions Leagues with Los Blancos, solidifying his status as one of the greatest right-backs of his generation.
However, Carvajal missed the rest of the current campaign due to an ACL tear that occurred in October. Another Madrid and Spain veteran, who is much less used to the position, has filled the vacuum on the right side of Carlo Ancelotti’s back four in his absence.
After being converted to a right-back, Lucas Vazquez, who was formerly a winger, had shown great performance. The quick and little attacker has always been a hard worker off the ball and has shown himself to be a focused and disciplined defender.
Additionally, the 33-year-old four-time La Liga champion still poses a serious danger going forward even though he is not as agile on the field as he once was.
The most evident benefit, however, is that Alexander-Arnold is a better fit for the role right away.
Despite being a former midfielder, Alexander-Arnold has primarily played full-back since attending Liverpool’s academy. He has spent his senior career at right-back, with the exception of a brief stint playing central midfield for England at Euro 2024 and in the closing months of Jurgen Klopp’s Anfield reign.
Furthermore, despite his far from flawless play at the position, Alexander-Arnold’s vision and technique greatly transcend any shortcomings in his defense. Additionally, he is less likely than Vazquez to be physically abused because to his strong 5-foot-11 frame and having ten years of experience facing opposition wingers in one-on-one duels.
However, Alexander-Arnold’s greatest contribution to Madrid will be as a playmaker, and this is where he may make a significant impact.
No other full-back in football can match the 33-cap England player’s range of passing or ability to weave through balls between many defenders to release quick forwards like Kylian Mbappe or Mohamed Salah.
He might increase the fearsomeness of Madrid’s already formidable assault by having the comfort to operate in higher areas as an auxiliary creative midfielder or to assist influence play from deep.
Vazquez has made 30 appearances in La Liga this season, with five assists and one goal.
In 32 games, Alexander-Arnold has contributed three goals and six assists. Additionally, this return represents an exceptionally low level of output for the footballer, who was born in Liverpool. Even as a winger, Vazquez has never hit double figures for assists in three seasons of his career up to this point.
The underlying statistics also support Alexander-Arnold’s better inventiveness.
In La Liga, Vazquez’s chances this season have created an average of 0.2 expected assisted goals (xAG) per 90 minutes. This season, Alexander-Arnold has averaged 0.26 xAG in the Premier League.
Vazquez has only once produced an average of 0.26 xAG per 90 since the 2017–18 season, whereas Alexander-Arnold consistently outperforms that rate, reaching a peak of 0.38 xAG per 90 in the 2021–22 campaign.
The two players have different approaches to creating opportunities for their teammates from a stylistic standpoint. With a more traditional wing play approach, Vazquez aims to outpace his opponent’s defender before cutting back and sending crosses from the byline.
In contrast, Alexander-Arnold can initiate counterattacks with sweeping cross-field balls, pierce defenses with threaded passes, or cross cleanly from high and wide. He is just as dangerous from deeper zones as he is in and around the penalty box.
On the other hand, Vazquez might be a more comfortable match right away if Madrid is able to get Xabi Alonso, the other top target they are hoping to sign before the Club World Cup.
The Spanish strategist has declared his intention to resign as manager of Bayer Leverkusen, and it is said that Madrid hopes to have him succeed Ancelotti before they travel to the United States.
By creating an invincible 3-4-3 strategy at Leverkusen, Alonso upended Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga supremacy as they swept to victory a year ago.
Vazquez’s linear style of wide play is more like that of Jeremie Frimpong, the Dutch wing-back who excelled for Alonso’s team and is reportedly Liverpool’s top target to replace Alexander Arnold, than it is the Englishman’s distinct approach to the position, if he plans to duplicate that system at Madrid.
But with less defensive duty available in a wing-back position, it’s easy to see how Alexander-Arnold’s extensive offensive skill set may be further unleashed.
Alexander-Arnold has the ability to completely transform Real Madrid’s right side whenever he gets there.