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There were plenty of eyebrows raised when Real Madrid paid Liverpool around £8. 4m for Trent Alexander-Arnold when they could have got him for free just a month later.
Xabi Alonso’s side were determined to sign the right-back in time for the start of their Club World Cup campaign, and they opted to pay the fee to release the 26-year-old from his contract early.
It was certainly a bonus for Liverpool, who looked like losing their prized asset for nothing.
But – on the day Alexander-Arnold would otherwise have been able to sign for the Spanish club – his first month with them has more than paid for their calculated gamble.
Having started every game in Real’s Club World Cup campaign, Alexander-Arnold provided his first assist as 21-year-old striker Gonzalo Garcia further enhanced his growing reputation by heading home his cross to send them past Juventus and into the quarter-finals.
That goal alone was worth an extra £10m for Madrid, with the club having already received about £43m for just reaching the last 16.
Madrid will meet either Borussia Dortmund or Monterrey in the quarter-finals, and could earn up to £125m if they go on to win the tournament.
“Of course it was worth paying the extra money,” former France centre-back Gael Clichy told Dazn. “You don’t have time in football, but this competition has given Real Madrid and Trent extra time.
How has Alexander-Arnold performed?
This was the second time Alonso has deployed his preferred 5-3-2/3-5-2 formation since he replaced Carlo Ancelotti as Madrid coach, and his new charges – including Alexander-Arnold – certainly appear to be adjusting to the new system.
Alexander-Arnold, who impressed his new employers with his Spanish abilities at his unveiling, has played the full 90 minutes in his past two appearances, growing in confidence with each game.
He endured a mixed start on his debut against Al-Hilal, who caught him out of possession on several occasions and almost scored after the former Liverpool man lost possession near the halfway line. He also won only one of his five duels in that match.
He looked vulnerable at times in his second game of the tournament against Pachuca, but in the 3-0 win over Salzburg – his first in the wing-back position – he was involved in Madrid’s third goal late in the second half and has now repaid Alonso’s faith with his first assist for the club.
“It was a fantastic delivery from Trent,” former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel told Dazn. “We know he can do that – even though there are still questions defensively. It’s good to see him settle. We knew it would take him time. “
Ex-Netherlands midfielder Edgar Davids echoed those sentiments, saying: “I think he is a good fit for Real Madrid and he will get better.
“If you want to have attacking full-backs, he is one of the key figures in that position in the world. If you want that and you have the speed in front of you, it is ideal. “
Garcia assist a sign of things to come?
Alexander-Arnold endured a quiet first half against Juventus, spending much of it playing short or backwards passes – rather than the raking balls Liverpool fans grew accustomed to.
He carried more of an attacking threat as the game progressed, however, finishing the match on eight crosses – more than any other Madrid player.
He flashed a delivery across the six-yard box in the first half, which somehow evaded everyone in the area, but his cross for Garcia eight minutes into the second period allowed the 21-year-old to thump a powerful header beyond Juventus goalkeeper Michele de Gregorio.
“He could have had many more assists already,” said Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois. “In training, he is horrible to play against. His corner kicks are another level.
“I don’t think I have seen a guy like this with such quality. As a goalkeeper it is a nightmare, but it will help make me better. “
Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown, however, says it is unreasonable to expect too much, too soon from the England international.
“He has to adapt into a system that is totally different,” Brown told Dazn. “He doesn’t have Mo Salah right in front of him and needs to be patient, not just cross the ball if no-one is there. It will take time to get used to it. “
But what does the man himself make of his new role under Alonso?
“I enjoyed it [playing as wing-back],” Alexander-Arnold said after the Salzburg game. “Adapting to a new role in a new team is always going to be a challenge, but I enjoy challenges. It gets the best out of me personally.
The new Raul? Garcia lighting up Club World Cup
If you hadn’t heard of Garcia prior to the Club World Cup, you will have now.
The young Madrid forward has led the line in the absence of Kylian Mbappe – who made his comeback from gastroentiritis against Juventus – and has taken his chance with both hands.
With three goals in four games, Garcia is Los Blancos’ top scorer at the tournament and is behind only Benfica’s Angel di Maria in the overall standings.
Aside from a one-year spell away from the Spanish capital with Mallorca in 2018-19, the 21-year-old has been part of the Madrid set-up since the age of 10.
He rose through the ranks and made his first appearance with Madrid’s B team, Castilla, in March 2022.
The Spanish forward made his first-team debut in the November of that year but was still predominantly playing with Castilla, eventually scoring his first senior goal in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals against Leganes in February 2025.
After Real’s 3-0 victory over Salzburg, in which Garcia scored his second goal at the tournament, Alonso likened his attributes to that of the legendary Raul Gonzalez.
“What he’s doing isn’t a surprise. He’s done it many times at Castilla,” he said.
“He’s the typical number nine, who knows how to wait for his opportunity, who moves well.
“He has Raul qualities in his movements. There are no decisions regarding the start of next season. “
Mikel believes Garcia has earned his chance to start, even with Mbappe’s return to fitness.
“Who needs Mbappe when you have Garcia? ” Mikel told Dazn.
“I’m pushing for the young lad, he has been on fire. This is what we love to see – young players getting opportunities. “
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, added: “In December 2024, Rahul – then manager of Real Madrid B – said Garcia should be in the first team. He was part of the youth team that won the treble in 2022/23. He was playing as a nine but also can play as a left winger.
“Real have been looking for a forward, someone who accepts his role behind Mbappe. Now they have got that nine through the ranks, Alonso has got a lot of confidence in him.
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