Gary Neville has shared his theory on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s potential move to Real Madrid, questioning whether the Liverpool star will be a guaranteed starter at the Spanish club.
As it stands, Alexander-Arnold is set to leave Liverpool on a free transfer when his contract expires, with reports suggesting he is close to joining La Liga giants Real Madrid. Despite Liverpool’s attempts to convince him to stay, negotiations have reportedly failed.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, presented by Sky Bet, former Manchester United defender Neville expressed doubts about Alexander-Arnold’s role at Madrid. He highlighted the competition the right-back would face from Federico Valverde, who has been playing in the position, and Dani Carvajal when fit.
“I’ve always said Trent needs to take his defending more seriously, or it will cause him problems,” Neville stated. “At Real Madrid, it could be a real challenge because Valverde is playing right-back now, and Carvajal, when he returns, is a top-quality full-back. Trent is going to face serious competition there.”
Neville further pointed out that Alexander-Arnold has struggled for a regular place in the England squad and has frequently been substituted in crucial moments for Liverpool. “I’ve never seen a right-back get subbed as often as he does in key periods of matches,” he added.
Beyond Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool faces uncertainty with other key players, as both Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have yet to agree to new contracts and could also leave on free transfers this summer.
Neville was particularly critical of Liverpool’s owners, FSG, for allowing this situation to unfold, calling their handling of Alexander-Arnold’s contract “unforgivable.”
“Even if there’s uncertainty in the boardroom, you don’t let a player like Trent’s contract run down,” he said. “Two years ago, Liverpool should have ensured he was tied down—he’s one of their own.”
Neville’s remarks were made on the Stick to Football podcast, sponsored by Sky Bet.