Trent Alexander-Arnold dream in TATTERS after Liverpool exit

Liverpool fans were left disappointed by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to quit the club last summer.

Alexander-Arnold, 26, had been at Anfield for 20 years - rising through the ranks to become an English, European and world champion.

But the right-back opted to let his contract run down in the summer of 2025. He rejected Richard Hughes’ attempts to renew his deal - and one month before his contract expiry a £10m transfer was agreed with Real Madrid.

The 15-time European champions were desperate to have Trent on board for the FIFA Club World Cup - where they were put out in the semi-finals by Paris Saint-Germain.

Trent's nightmare start at Madrid

Coming off the back of an injury against the same opponents for Liverpool in last season’s Champions League, the Englishman wasn’t fit enough to play in that game.

Madrid media queried the utility of signing a right-back who couldn’t be relied upon to play every game - with a long-term replacement required for Dani Carvajal.

And although Alexander-Arnold started the season in the Madrid lineup under Xabi Alonso, the situation has gone south rapidly.

He has lost his place to 33-year-old Carvajal, who has only just returned from a very serious injury of his own. And in the opening game of the Champions League league phase against Marseille, Alexander-Arnold suffered a hamstring injury early on.

Trent's World Cup dream is slipping away

That injury has DERAILED his season and he is not expected back until November at the earliest. But the move to Madrid has also potentially cost Alexander-Arnold his World Cup dream.

He was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the September internationals and of course the injury has meant no place for him in the current lineup either.

But Trent is running out of time to convince the new England manager of his worthiness to be included in the final World Cup squad.

Trent should have STAYED

Reece James is the No1 pick for the former Chelsea manager while Djed Spence, Rico Lewis and Tino Livramento can all reasonbly count themselves above Trent in the right-back pecking order.

Indeed, the situation is so dismal right now that Madrid media outlet Defensa Central is predicting that Trent will NOT go to the World Cup. It could have been all so different had he decided to stay with his hometown club.

Trent would have had a proper recuperation period rather than going to the Club World Cup and given his importance to the Liverpool team he would have kept his place in the England squad too.

Instead he’s facing another extended spell on the sidelines and is running out of hope to play in a World Cup during his peak years.

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