Trent Alexander-Arnold has made only 4 La Liga appearances for Real Madrid this season, and the club are initially considering a loan deal in the January transfer window. He has played just 257 league minutes, with only 4 starts, which is a far smaller role than Madrid expected when they brought him in. Liverpool have not gone past sounding him out, but the idea of a January return is now being discussed in public rather than behind closed doors.

Madrid's reduced role

The slowdown is clear in the numbers. Alexander-Arnold has 1 La Liga assist and has managed only 79 Champions League minutes for Madrid as well, while his reported gross annual salary is approximately €16.7 million. That is a big wage bill for a player who has not yet become a regular in either competition.

Real Madrid's right-back pecking order has also been described as Federico Valverde first, Denzel Dumfries second and Alexander-Arnold third. Valverde has 10 La Liga appearances this season, Dumfries has 8, and that leaves the former Liverpool full-back in a much less settled position than his profile would suggest.

Liverpool's interest and Carragher's view

The talk around Liverpool is still at the sounding-out stage, and there is a split in how the move is being framed. Madriduniversal reported that Liverpool are leaning toward a loan, while Teamtalk's reporting has suggested Real Madrid could listen to a sale if a suitable offer arrived.

Jamie Carragher has gone further than that. Speaking to teamtalk.com, he said: "I’d have him back anyway, even though I gave him plenty of stick." He also argued that Liverpool still have problems at right-back and have definitely missed Alexander-Arnold's creativity, adding that any return should only happen if it benefits the club going forward.

Carragher's view is a football one, not an emotional one. Liverpool are 4th in the Premier League and perfect after 3 Champions League league-phase matches, so they are not chasing a desperate fix, but a player of Alexander-Arnold's passing range would still change the conversation if Madrid are willing to deal.

The January window is the point where this moves from rumour to test case, and the key detail remains the same. Liverpool are exploring the possibility, Madrid have a player on limited minutes, and the next month will show whether that is enough to make a return serious.

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