When Trent Alexander-Arnold was about to sign for Real Madrid, there was a lot of curiosity about how he would suit Los Blancos. This is especially true when Xabi Alonso became the head coach of the club.
Since leading Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso has always been steadfast in controlling the game, not by being rigid in the formation or structure, but by clear principles both with and without the ball. From there, Alonso knows how to make the most of the existing players in the squad.
Some people believe that the initial collaboration could be found between Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe. These are two of the best players in the world in penetrating the defense with their impressive speed. They can take advantage of long passes, especially in chaotic situations.
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 has given a very early look at Alexander-Arnold's potential role at Real Madrid. There were some awkward moments in the early stages of the game-making process, including Alexander-Arnold not receiving the ball accurately when turning his back towards the goal and letting the opponent put pressure. Sometimes he also had silly missed passes.
As Real Madrid move into the opposition half, Alexander-Arnold has become much less towards the end of his previous years, especially under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. He mainly focuses on expanding the right wing, occasionally having runs over the wing. The England international could not develop his accurate crosses.
In general, the slow pace of attack and the lack of opportunities to play in chaotic moments also partly reduce what makes Alexander-Arnold special in the Premier League.
This does not mean that Alexander-Arnold does not have bright moments at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Alexander-Arnold's passes were very accurate and sharp in Madrid's group stage victory over RB Salzburg. He also assisted Los Blancos' only goal in the 1-0 win over Juventus in the round of 16.
In the past few seasons, despite his shortcomings, Alexander-Arnold has been one of the best defenders in the world. It is very rare for a full-back to be a key player and leader for a big team like Liverpool.
The impact of a third of the final has compensated for the weaknesses he has encountered in defence, including his physical limitations in first-leg situations.
In theory, adding a big player like Alexander-Arnold to the squad will bring positivity. However, as everyone has seen in many years, such as Real Madrid, stacking stars together is not necessarily going to work.
It will be interesting to see how Alexander-Arnold performs with his new life in Spain. He could benefit from La Liga being a less physically demanding tournament than the Premier League. Repeating what the 26-year-old has done in England will be a difficult task. Because Alexander-Arnold has won all the big titles he can with Liverpool.
Alexander-Arnold left the Premier League as one of the best defenders. Whether he can reach the same peak in La Liga for Real Madrid will be worth watching.
