In theory, Trent Alexander-Arnold should have a much more positive second season at Real Madrid.
The right-back has recovered from the muscle problems that affected him in his first campaign.
He also participated in no summer competition like he did last summer with the Club World Cup, having been snubbed by England coach Thomas Tuchel for the World Cup.
Alexander-Arnold made 30 appearances in all competitions last season after two muscle injuries disrupted his first year in Spain. He started to perform better towards the end of the campaign, however, starting each of Madrid’s Champions League knockout ties against Benfica, Manchester City and Bayern Munich.
There is no doubt the player needed time to adapt after leaving Liverpool, where he had spent his entire career since joining as a six-year-old in 2004, and he showed his quality multiple times for Madrid during the course of last season.
Alexander-Arnold produced five assists in all competitions, including the pass for Vinicius Junior’s winner against Atletico Madrid and the delivery that allowed Kylian Mbappe to score against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.
In the second leg in Munich, Alexander-Arnold produced another precise ball for Mbappe, whose effort was saved by Manuel Neuer.
🔥 ¡Seguimos preparando el debut en la Liga! pic.twitter.com/rCjfYp7ckQ
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 19, 2026
Those qualities, his ability on the ball, are why Madrid lured him to the Bernabeu last season, and they will certainly need that available to them this term. Mourinho could be looking at exploiting his elite passing and vision to fuel Madrid’s attack.
However, there have also been reminders of the areas in which the right-back needs to improve, especially the infamous defensive side of his game. It is telling that this summer Madrid signed Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan to compete with Alexander-Arnold.
The Dutch full-back has a more defensive profile, which could fit into the kind of skillset Mourinho values in his players. Fighting off that competition will be everything for Alexander-Arnold this season.
The 27-year-old is no doubt a highly talented player, but this could be a make-or-break season for him.
