Ex-Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has reportedly been told that he is not apart of Real Madrid’s plans
Stephen Killen Senior Sport Central Audience Writer
12:26, 23 Jan 2026Updated 13:01, 23 Jan 2026
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been told to leave Real Madrid, according to reports.(Image: Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Former Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has been told to end his nightmare Real Madrid stay after less than 12 months, according to reports.
Spanish outlet El Nacional have claimed that the England international and former Reds star has been deemed not to be in Alvaro Arbeloa’s plans. The Spaniard, who enjoyed a spell at Anfield during his playing career, replaced Xabi Alonso as head coach earlier this month when the 44-year-old’s six-month tenure came to an end.
As a result, Arbeloa has told Alexander-Arnold that he is not a part of their plans. The report from the Catalan newspaper claims that Alexander-Arnold has failed to win over club staff, with the summer arrival putting in a string of disappointing performances and suffering frequent injuries, which have blemished his early career at the Bernabeu.
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As a result, the Spanish outlet suggests that the situation has reached a breaking point, forcing Arbeloa to intervene and make it clear to the defender that he is not a part of his plans.
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Alexander-Arnold is currently recovering from a thigh injury and is expected to be ruled out until the beginning of next month.
The full-back hasn’t made the start to life in the Spanish capital that he would have liked after being consigned to just eight La Liga outings so far.
The 27-year-old made the highly publicised move to the Spanish giants in the summer, controversially leaving his boyhood club after helping the Reds win the Premier League.
Alexander-Arnold’s spell at Madrid has not gone according to plan(Image: Getty Images)
However, Alexander-Arnold ran down his contract before Los Blancos paid £10million to allow the England international to conclude his contract on Merseyside early, in order to participate in the Club World Cup.
As a result of his struggles in Spain, England boss Thomas Tuchel has taken evasive action and opted to leave him out of the recent squads. His last appearance for the Three Lions came in their 1-0 win over Andorra in June 2025, when he made a 26-minute cameo appearance.
Upon his return, Alexander-Arnold will be forced to try and usurp Federico Valverde from the full-back position after the Uruguayan has cemented his place as the starter in the position.
The 22-year-old academy graduate Raul Asencio has also featured in the position, while veteran Daniel Carvajal is on the comeback trail following his injury.
Carvajal has made just seven appearances in the league, 11 in all competitions, but has been introduced as a substitute in two of their last five matches.
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