Real Madrid Star Told to LEAVE Just Six Months After Arriving

Los Blancos Defender Told to Find a New Club by Fellow Former Liverpool Man

[Real Madrid](Real Madrid) is globally renowned as a club that always seems to operate by its own set of rules. Masters of the free transfer and absolutely ruthless when it comes to a player not meeting expectations, there is nowhere in football quite like the Santiago Bernabeu.

Following the sacking of Xabi Alonso just six months into his reign, second team coach and former Liverpool right-back Alvaro Arbeloa replaced him at the helm, giving him free rein over who to play and who to cut.

Breaking 🚨

Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloahas reportedly told Trent Alexander-Arnold to LEAVE the club seven months after joining from Liverpool. pic.twitter.com/RypI5SOypO

— indykaila News (@indykaila) January 23, 2026

It seems that the 2010 World Cup winner is to be as ruthless as his predecessors, as the Spaniard has told summer signing and fellow ex-Red right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold to find a new club, making it clear that he has no plans to play him in Spain.

Fall from Grace

The former Liverpool youth graduate's long-lasting transfer saga was the story of the summer - even two months before the 2024/25 season officially ended, links to Spain were strong, and Alexander-Arnold was having to reassure the Kop that he was staying both on and off the field.

Eventually, the Anfield faithful would be disappointed, as prior to the Club World Cup over the summer, their worst fears were realised; their star creator, leading homegrown player, and arguably the premier right-back in the world had been poached by the pesky Spaniard. The fact that it was on a free transfer made it all the more insulting.

However, if the millions keeping an eye on the situation around the world expected him to get off to a flyer in continental Europe, they were disappointed. Thanks to injury and lack of fitness, the man who would become known as Trent wouldn’t play a full 90 minutes in La Liga until November, and across 30 competitive games this season, the Scouser has played in just 16 of them.

He has come under heavy criticism during his short time in Spain - his defensive ability had always been questioned during his stint in Liverpool, but it was truly exposed in the Mediterranean, with Madrid fans accusing him of playing against them.

Moreover, Trent seems to have lost his creative spark - he has notched two assists in 16 games so far, which for an ordinary right-back would be a perfectly respectable return. However, by his own incredibly high standards, it is a huge underperformance from the defender.

Thanks to his lack of form and constant injury setbacks, other European giants have started to circle, with Manchester City showing particularly strong interest in the man that so often terrorised them in his Premier League stint.

🚨 Manchester City are actively monitoring Trent Alexander-Arnold amid growing uncertainty over his future at Real Madrid.

The England right-back’s situation is being closely followed by Pep Guardiola's side, as he's struggled to settle into life in Spain thanks to injuries and… pic.twitter.com/fYN7taLi9b

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) January 26, 2026

A two-time Premier League champion, with 64 top-flight assists to his name and now approaching his athletic prime at 27 years of age, Alexander-Arnold simply needs a confidence boost, and it has become clear that under Arbeloa, that is not something he is going to find in Madrid.

Though valued at a hefty £56 million, money is no object for Pep Guardiola’s side, and no doubt they will be more than happy to part with significant funds in order to acquire him. However, the move is a big risk, as if Alexander-Arnold’s poor form and injury issues continue, any transfer could come to be seen as a colossal waste of money.