Real Madrid and president Florentino Perez have been very high on Trent Alexander-Arnold for years, and they did not hesitate at the opportunity to sign him from Liverpool last season when they were able to successfully convince him to run down his contract, even spending an extra 10 million euros just to get him in for the Club World Cup.
While Trent took some time to get off the blocks, Madrid showed the utmost of confidence and patience in the England international, and he eventually made Dani Carvajal a fleeting memory, producing world class crosses and passes by the end of Real's difficult 2025/26 campaign.
Now, Trent has some more competition this summer after Jose Mourinho brought in Serie A champion Denzel Dumfries at right back, and while the Dutch international will get his minutes, the former Liverpool star will make up for it by getting opportunities in the midfield.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is the real Rodri signing for Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid
Mourinho experimented with playing Trent further up the pitch in the preseason, and it is becoming increasingly clear in the Spanish media that Mourinho plans on doing what Jurgen Klopp attempted to do, but could never succeed in, by converting Trent into a center midfielder just like Bayern Munich once did with Joshua Kimmich from right back.
Part of Mou's motivation for doing this may be because Real Madrid still lack control and technical quality in the middle of the park. He tried to sign Rodri and showed interest in other targets for Real Madrid with that skill set, such as young Ayyoub Bouaddi or Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez, but Florentnio Perez was not convinced by those options.
Aside from converting Trent Alexander-Arnold, the only other player who could fit that profile is Arda Guler, whom Jose is also talking about converting from a No. 10 to a No. 6, just as Carlo Ancelotti was doing with Guler at the end of the 2024/25 La Liga season in that fabled Andrea Pirlo regista role.
Trent could even be more suitable from the perspective that his years of being elite at right back make him a better defender and dribbler, and his shooting and passing ability are even greater than Guler's in terms of consistency and technique. Plus, Guler is left footed and Trent is with his right.
There is room for the two of them, of course. Real Madrid do not have a single other technical profile. Aurelien Tchouameni has potential but has not developed in that way yet. And Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga are much more box to box players.
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