Glen Johnson has pushed Trent Alexander-Arnold towards Chelsea as a January loan option, while [Emile Heskey] says Bayern München would suit him and [Steven Gerrard] is still open to a Liverpool return. The discussion is being driven by his limited role at Real Madrid, where he has only 5 La Liga appearances this season and 347 league minutes.

Chelsea, Bayern and Liverpool in the conversation

Johnson told metro.co.uk that Alexander-Arnold would be frustrated by his situation in Madrid and said Chelsea should target him in January, adding that a loan could work for both sides because the club need a right-back and Trent needs minutes. That sits alongside Heskey's view that Bayern would be a good move, while Gerrard said he would take him back at Liverpool but is unsure whether the timing suits the current group.

Heskey's point is not hard to understand. Bayern offer a clear route back into regular football, and he even said he would "love to see him back at Liverpool" after calling the German club a good move. Gerrard was more cautious, saying he does improve Liverpool, but questioning whether he is right for the team and manager at this moment.

Madrid's limited usage

The usage numbers are thin whichever way you slice them. SPORT1 says he has featured only 8 times this season and started 5 times, while the more conservative Metro line is that he has only 4 starts. The verified season totals still point to a player who has not yet settled into a full-time role, with just 5 league appearances, 347 league minutes and 1 Champions League appearance.

Chelsea's need is part of why the loan talk has caught on. Reece James is expected to be out until at least mid-January after knee surgery last month, and Chelsea are fifth in the Premier League heading into the November international break, one place and two points behind Liverpool.

Real Madrid are second in La Liga, so this is not about a side in collapse. It is about whether Alexander-Arnold is central enough to Xabi Alonso's plans to stay where he is, or whether January brings a real push from Chelsea, another round of Liverpool talk, or just more noise around the same limited minutes.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →