Eden Hazard, Philippe Coutinho, João Félix – the list of big names whose careers took a completely wrong turn after a transfer is long. In the heart of Spain, it could unfortunately be expanding with another player.
For Trent Alexander-Arnold, often abbreviated as TAA, his career seemed to be going perfectly before his move to Real Madrid. A regular player at Liverpool FC and on his way to becoming a club legend. Additionally, a two-time Premier League champion, Champions League winner, and a key part of the English national team. What could a transfer possibly change? The word “Everything” probably sums it up best.
Upon arriving at the Royals, he immediately faced two opponents, his own body and Daniel Carvajal. TAA has missed 17 competitive matches this season due to injuries. After making a 14-minute comeback last weekend in a 2-0 away win in Valencia after over two months, teammate Carvajal caused a stir, having to continue warming the bench.
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As reported consistently by Spanish media, the captain allegedly accused Real coach Álvaro Arbeloa of substituting TAA only because the Englishman had a playing time guarantee from President Florentino Pérez. Carvajal himself was coming back from an injury but had often been given priority over him until then.
As if these football-related problems weren’t enough, things aren’t going well for Alexander-Arnold with the Three Lions either.
“I spoke with Trent. It was a difficult call, but I wanted him to hear it from me,” explained England coach Thomas Tuchel at a press conference in September. Tuchel had previously decided not to nominate the star defender for the national team for the first time since March 2021.
The reasons were primarily his defensive discipline: “I see that he sometimes relies too heavily on his offensive performances. If he wants a place in the national team, he must take defense very, very seriously.” No question, TAA is an extremely offensively-oriented defender, who significantly contributed to Liverpool FC’s sporting success.
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In 354 games for the Reds, he assisted 92 goals and even scored 23 times himself. This is mainly why the Royals signed him in the summer. Speaking of last summer, there’s another hotspot in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s life – the fans of Liverpool FC.
At least some Reds supporters took his transfer very badly. After traveling to Liverpool for the funeral of his long-time teammate Diogo Jota, he received a clear message.
Unknown individuals defaced his mural unveiled in 2019 on Sybil Road. Among other things, they wrote “Goodbye, Rat” on the artwork and smeared Alexander-Arnold’s jersey number 66. It feels like everything is going against the 27-year-old. At least his age currently speaks in his favor at Real.
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For the 33-year-old Carvajal, signs point to a departure in the summer. If his body cooperates again, TAA could become the starting right-back for the Royals by then and play himself back to his old strength. Perhaps also through a new interpretation of his playing style. If he manages to show more discipline defensively, Thomas Tuchel essentially cannot ignore him.
What Alexander-Arnold must not forget: In football, things can go downhill very quickly. However, they can also improve just as quickly. The sport has proven this often enough.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
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