Real Madrid's recruitment has been scrutinised for several questionable decisions which includes focusing on youth to take the club in a new direction. There is a glaring need for experienced leaders at the Estadio Bernabeu amid rumors of player power taking hold.
Xabi Alonso's dismissal on Monday was met with criticism over the club letting players get their way rather than backing the manager. The Spanish coach was thought to have wanted Los Blancos to move for Martin Zubimendi last summer but his proposal was turned down.
Real Madrid star's struggles are concerning
But one player who did arrive at Madrid was Trent Alexander-Arnold, arriving from Liverpool. The club paid a €10m fee for the English right-back to join ahead of the Club World Cup.
This meant a payment was made despite the player's contract expiring that summer. But that's not the main issue concerning the 27-year-old who on his day is one of the best ball-playing talents in world football.
Trent has endured an injury-ridden season, making just 11 appearances across competitions. It's a real cause for concern because he wasn't injury prone while at Anfield and as such the Premier League giants even appointed him vice-captain because of his reliability.
Madrid haven't been able to call upon Trent during important moments this season. He missed the Supercopa de Espana finals in Saudi Arabia with a muscle tear.
Alonso was forced to use Federico Valverde at right-back to try and deal with his absence. He was supposed to be Dani Carvajal's long-term replacement, but his fitness struggles mean his debut season has been a disappointing one.
When the England international has been on the pitch, he has put in some eye-catching performances. He is clearly accomplished on the ball, a key asset in set-piece situations.
But he continues to endure injury problems and missed caretaker manager Alvaro Arbeloa's second game in charge against Levante on Saturday (January 17th). The main worry is whether a similar situation is occurring to that of Eden Hazard, who was injury-prone throughout his time at the Bernabeu.
A scary case of deja-vu
Hazard joined from Chelsea for a club-record €100 million deal in the summer of 2019. The Belgian attacker was one of the best attacking talents in the world at the time but he suffered a dramatic fall from grace when recurring injuries piled up.
The adaption from the Premier League to La Liga takes time and can prevent players from living up to expectations. There have been glimpses of hope that the Englishman will get back to his best and be part of Madrid's long-term future but there's no doubt Madridistas would have wanted more for arguably their biggest signing last summer.