Trent Alexander-Arnold’s regret over decision to ignore Jurgen Klopp warning

Trent Alexander-Arnold is possibly on the exit ramp Real Madrid just 10 months after leaving Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp’s past comments coming back to haunt him

Trent Alexander-Arnold might regret not listening to Jurgen Klopp’s advice after his rapid fall from favour at Real Madrid. The England defender is reportedly no longer needed at the Bernabeu, not even 12 months after departing Liverpool in a contentious switch.

Alexander-Arnold, 27, made the move to Real last summer in a £10million deal with grand ambitions about where his career was headed. But the harsh reality has been far grimmer as Real battle to salvage their title ambitions this season, with Alexander-Arnold suffering multiple injury problems and managing just one assist in 11 outings for the club.

Shortly after Anfield legend Xabi Alonso’s exit, another ex-Red arrived to fill the void in Alvaro Arbeloa. Yet it’s reported the former Spain international has told Alexander-Arnold he’s free to depart the Spanish capital.

This disappointing turn of events echoes Klopp’s warning to Philippe Coutinho when he left Liverpool eight years ago. Coutinho had established himself as a future legend on Merseyside before moving to Barcelona in a deal potentially worth £142million back in January 2018.

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This came despite warnings from his former boss, who cautioned he risked becoming merely another squad player if he joined another European giant. His prediction proved to be precise as Coutinho rapidly declined at Barca before ultimately heading back to the Premier League with Aston Villa four years down the line.

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Klopp said at the time: “I told him [Coutinho] to stay here and they will end up building a statue in your honour. Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid, and you will be just another player. Here you can be something more.”

Years on, history appears to be repeating itself as Alexander-Arnold turned his back on Liverpool’s generous contract offers to extend his Anfield stay in favour of a continental move. His choice was slated by numerous supporters among the Liverpool faithful, and it now seems his Real Madrid stint could prove remarkably brief.

Not so long ago, the England full-back was setting his sights on Ballon d’Or glory and dreamed of making history by securing the individual prize. Today, though, he’s nowhere near contending for such honours following his Madrid struggles.

Speaking to Sky Sports in 2024 about his chances of claiming the coveted award, Alexander-Arnold declared: “I believe I can. I want to be the first full-back to ever do it.

“It’s only the morning after you retire that you’re able to look in the mirror and say, ‘I gave it everything I got’. It doesn’t matter how many trophies you win, or how many medals you’ve got. It matters what you give to the game and if you reach your full potential.”

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A fair portion of the player’s struggles in Spain have been beyond his control given the fitness problems he’s faced. That said, it was perhaps foreseeable that a club of Real’s stature wouldn’t show patience through such setbacks, whereas Liverpool could probably have given the player considerably more time to get back to full fitness.

Consequently, Alexander-Arnold has found himself somewhat eating his words as his personal fortunes have nosedived. And Klopp, who guided the player to Champions League and Premier League success at Anfield, might well have anticipated such a turn of events from a distance.

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