Trent Alexander-Arnold has been tipped to make a controversial switch to Liverpool’s title rivals
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s dream move to Real Madrid has not gone exactly to plan. But could a sensational transfer to Arsenal this summer reignite the 27-year-old’s career?
Former England striker Teddy Sheringham thinks so. Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool under a cloud last year, with big ideas of nailing down the right-back position in the Spanish capital and the Ballon d’Or even in his sights.
However, he has struggled with both injuries and form since his move to Los Blancos. He failed in his battle to permanently displace veteran star Dani Carvajal from the starting XI and was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad.
The pending exit of Carvajal seemed to give Alexander-Arnold a boost that he could make the position his next year. His circumstances may have just taken a turn for the worse in Madrid, now set to be under Jose Mourinho, after the club agreed a deal to sign Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries.
Meanwhile, Arsenal could be on the hunt for a new right-back with Ben White and Jurrien Timber battling injuries last season. Centre-back by trade, Cristhian Mosquera was often left to step into the breach for Mikel Arteta’s Premier League champions last season.
Former Manchester United star Sheringham believes, while a Liverpool return isn’t on the cards for Alexander-Arnold, a controversial move to north London could be.
“Liverpool fans might not want him back, so it does narrow down where he could go, doesn’t it,” he told BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest World Cup odds. “He doesn’t immediately strike me as an Arsenal player, to be fair. I think they’re too strong and resilient and work as a proper back four unit. But they could make it work for him.
“Even if you have an organised back four with fantastic players, if you leave him on his own Trent looks all over the place, but that was true of Harry Maguire when Manchester United weren’t playing well. If you did that to Tony Adams or Steve Bruce, they’d have looked shocking.
“If you put Trent in an organised, structured back four, and they work as a unit, that’s what playing in a team like Arsenal is all about. If someone worked with Trent along those lines, coached him to get in the right position at the right times, then I’m sure he could improve in that position to give Arsenal that extra dimension that he brings to a team.”
Alexander-Arnold departed the Reds having won two Premier League titles in five years, the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the FA Cup, two League Cups and the UEFA Super Cup. However, he endured a trophyless maiden campaign in Spain.
Mourinho will be the full-back’s third coach since joining Madrid, after Xabi Alonso, who was sacked at the turn of the year, and interim manager Alvaro Arbeloa. Yet Alexander-Arnold has vowed to kick on in Madrid, suggesting he’s not going anywhere just yet.
Posting on Instagram at the end of the season, he wrote: “Madridistas, you have welcomed me with open arms. From the first day I arrived you have had my back. It took me a few months to find rhythm and settle in the new environment but I feel completely at home now.
“I will take a good break and put the work in over the summer. I promise we will bring trophies back to this amazing club next season!”
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