How Real Madrid would line up with Alphonso Davies and Trent Alexander-Arnold

Real Madrid are planning next season’s squad with the summer addition of two fabulous free agent full-backs.

Los Blancos have long been linked with move for Bayern Munich‘s Alphonso Davies and latterly Liverpool‘s Trent Alexander-Arnold as well. It was expected that they would sign one of them to bolster their ranks.

Now, according to Relevo, the current Spanish and European champions Real Madrid are planning to sign BOTH men this summer and head into 2025/26 with those two attacking full-backs in their squad.

With both men available on a free transfer this move would technically be within reach as only salary would be an obstacle. And given every time La Liga releases their salary cap information Madrid’s continues to rise, that won’t likely be an issue.

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Madrid adding two world-class talents like Alexander-Arnold and Davies would make their attack terrifying on paper, but it would of course raise serious questions about the defensive solidity of a team that has already been struggling since Dani Carvajal’s injury.

The Madrid captain tore his ACL a few games into the season and that could be why Madrid’s pursuit of Alexander-Arnold has accelerated, but Carvajal is an accomplished defender while Alexander-Arnold’s defending is a meme. And for all his attacking energy, Davies is hardly Paolo Maldini either.

But how would Real Madrid line-up with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alphonso Davies in their side? We’ve had a look.

How would Real Madrid line up with Alphonso Davies and Trent Alexander-Arnold?

First thing’s first, Thibaut Courtois would be in goal. While Andriy Lunin is a more than capable understudy, the big Belgian is in a class of his own in La Liga and worldwide only a full-fit Alisson Becker (and when did we last see that?) can step to him.

Now, the temptation would be to try and do a Southgate and squeeze Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield both to try and cover for his awful defending and to try and use his passing to replace the departed Toni Kroos.

However, that won’t work. Both because Madrid’s midfield is already stuffed with guys who can’t defend, and also because Trent Alexander-Arnold is not a midfielder. Just because he can pass, doesn’t make him a midfielder. Yes, he was one as a child, but he’s played all his pro career as a right-back and his game has developed accordingly. He’s not a midfielder.

So he stays at right-back, and can work his magic from there. To mitigate his defensive lapses you play Antonio Rudiger next to him. The German is an athletic marvel and a defensive genius who would cover for Trent about as well as anyone could.

Next to Rudiger you have to put David Alaba. The former Bayern man reads the game superbly and although injuries have robbed him of his incredible athleticism, Madrid have sorely missed his defensive intelligence this season and would have to hope he’s fit again for 2025/26.

Then at left-back you have Alaba’s former team-mate at Bayern. Davies would add an existentially terrifying overlap option for Vini Jr. on the left flank that will only serve to make the Brazilian even more dangerous. He can’t defend but with him and Vini attacking he probably won’t have to.

Defensive midfield will be Aurelien Tchouameni if only because he’s the only man in the squad who can actually play the role. Madrid may not like him, but they need him!

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Next to him you have Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde (backed up by Eduardo Camavinga) as box-to-box engines. This is the lungs of the team, with none of these three men really capable of adding control to games but all of them well-rounded enough to do every task you’d ask of a midfielder. Crash the box? Cover the wingers? Last minute tackles? They’ve got it covered.

In attack you have Kylian Mbappé leading the line and Vini Jr. on the left because of course you do. They are super talents you don’t move around. Mbappé is just going to have to learn how to play striker.

Right-wing is the interesting position because while Rodrygo has often played there, with Mbappé in attack it’s not a role that suits him. The best choice to play there would actually be Arda Guler, the young Turk whose offensive creativity could be exactly what Madrid need, along with Trent’s magic of course, to unlock Mbappé as a true no. 9.

GK: Thibaut Courtois

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold

CB: Antonio Rudiger

CB: David Alaba

LB: Alphonso Davies

DM: Aurelien Tchouameni

CM: Jude Bellingham

CM: Federico Valverde

RW: Arda Guler

LW: Vini Jr.

ST: Kylian Mbappé