- Alexander-Arnold’s World Cup spot in doubt
- Real Madrid move proves costly
- Tuchel sends clear message to England players
Thomas Tuchel announced his England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, but Trent Alexander-Arnold was not called up. The former Liverpool man’s chances of making the FIFA World Cup squad are slowly diminishing, and he might be questioning his decision to make the Real Madrid move.
The right-back has made just 20 appearances this season, mainly due to injuries, but he has also struggled to impress from a defensive standpoint. The other issue for the 27-year-old has also been Federico Valverde’s form at right-back, as the Uruguayan set the standard this season with his performances when the Englishman and Dani Carvajal were unavailable.
Liverpool’s academy product has not matched Valverde’s performance, especially in the defensive areas, and that has played a key role in the fans not fully backing him. They want to see a lot more from the right-back, who has just not managed to do enough.
No more media protection
One thing Premier League followers know about Alexander-Arnold’s Anfield career is the media protection he received over defensive mistakes. Jurgen Klopp, fans, and several English pundits constantly battled his corner off the pitch, justifying his defensive errors by citing his attacking output.
However, at Real Madrid, the fans and media are ruthless, and he has learnt it the hard way. He has been called out several times in his 20 matches for his poor mistakes.
Spanish media haven’t minced their words when assessing Alexander-Arnold’s defensive performances. Marca recently claimed he looked ‘bewildered’ and ‘lost’ and added:
“Good grief, Trent, what a defensive display from the Englishman on that goal. If you can even call it defensive. Slow, out of position, and then lost inside the box.”
That level of scrutiny is hard for even Tuchel to ignore, and the German tactician has repeatedly said he wants his players to regularly perform well in the defensive areas. He believes in a group effort and won’t tolerate any weakness in his backline.
Tuchel watching Trent’s rivals closely
Tuchel has picked Tino Livramento and Djed Spence as two of his right-back options for the upcoming friendlies this month. The manager has said that the duo, along with former Red Jarrell Quansah, will be trialled ahead of the FIFA World Cup, adding that he wants to see what they bring to the table.
The former Chelsea boss also hinted that it is not a given that he will not pick Alexander-Arnold (via The Telegraph):
“I know that it’s a tough decision for Trent, as it is for Ollie Watkins and Luke Shaw. These tough decisions come with the job. It’s a sporting decision that we stick with Jarell Quansah, Tino Livramento and Djed Spence who can play for us at right-back. I know it’s a tough one, I know it’s a big name. He’s a huge talent with a big career, but I feel I know what Trent can give us and decided to stick to the players that we have had in camp.”
| Alexander-Arnold defending (La Liga 2025-26) | Statistic |
| Matches Played | 13 |
| Tackles Attempted | 9 |
| Tackles Won | 6 |
| Interceptions | 10 |
| Ball Recoveries | 26 |
| Clearances | 3 |
| Blocked Shots | 1 |
| Aerial Duels Won % | 50% |
| Ground Duels Won % | 42.4% |
| Fouls Committed | 5 |
| Yellow Cards | 1 |
| Errors Leading to Goal | 0 |
Another one of Alexander-Arnold’s issues this season has been Tuchel mainly casting his eye on talent in England. He has been watching Livramento and Spence regularly, and trips to Spain to watch Real Madrid aren’t so easy.
Moreover, Tuchel has been spotted at several Chelsea matches, and that could see him favour Reece James over the Merseysiders’ former vice-captain, not just in the starting lineup but the World Cup squad as a whole.
