Gary Neville has suggested Trent Alexander-Arnold might not even get in Real Madrid’s team, despite the Liverpool star seemingly being on the verge of a move to Spain.
Alexander-Arnold’s exit from Anfield looks inevitable now, with various outlets reporting this week that Real is working on finalizing a deal for the Liverpool vice-captain. The latest development comes after months of speculation, with the La Liga giant even having a bid turned down just before the January transfer window.
It does look like Los Blancos will get their man though, with Real reportedly wanting Liverpool to release him early so that he can play in this summer’s revamped Club World Cup.
However, former Manchester United captain Neville has sent a word of warning to Alexander-Arnold ahead of his expected move. Having clashed with Jamie Carragher over FSG’s role in the right-back’s departure, the Sky Sports pundit went on to suggest he might not even be first-choice when he arrives at the Bernabeu.
“I said that I thought he [Trent Alexander-Arnold] had to get more serious about his defending – I’ve said that constantly – or else it will cause him problems,” Neville told the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
“I think it will cause him a problem at Real Madrid because they have Federico Valverde, who is playing right-back currently, and Dani Carvajal when he’s back – he’s going to have some serious competition. They are brilliant players, and he’s going to find it tough there.”
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Asked whether Valverde and Carvajal are better than Alexander-Arnold, Neville responded: “I think Carvajal, from a balance of going forward and back – the problem is that he’s 32 and has had a bad injury – but for me, Carvajal is a better full-back than Trent because of what he gives to the team. It’s unbelievable what Valverde is doing for them at the moment, so he’s going to have competition when he goes.
“Coming back to Trent, I said he needs to get more serious about his defending, and that was proven by the fact he couldn’t get in the England team for many years, and he gets subbed for Liverpool a lot. I’ve never known a right-back get subbed so many times in important periods of matches.”
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News of Alexander-Arnold’s impending move has not gone down well with a lot of Liverpool fans, with many of them unhappy that he’ll be leaving his boyhood club for nothing. While Neville understands that feeling, he did offer a defense for the 26-year-old.
“He does have his challenges with the way he plays, but it’s right that Liverpool fans can feel let down about him leaving. As a fan, he’s a local kid and fans have a right to feel that way.
“I also think about it with my David Beckham cap on, thinking about what career he had when he went to Real Madrid, and then Milan, and he had the experiences that have led him to what he’s done since. He wouldn’t have had that if he stayed at United, so part of me thinks that since I’ve stopped playing football, I think differently about it. The experience of going to Real Madrid and playing there is incredible for him.”
