'The new David Beckham!' - Jose Mourinho told to transform Trent Alexander-Arnold at Real Madrid

Alexander-Arnold could be set for a midfield evolution at Real Madrid, with former United and Scotland defender Bardsley believing Mourinho can unlock his full potential. He feels the England international's creativity could be better utilised further forward rather than being tied to his traditional right-back role.

The suggestion is to use him on the right of midfield, where his crossing and vision could become even more influential. The idea is based on Beckham's successful transition into a creative role, with Madrid's attacking options potentially giving Alexander-Arnold plenty of targets for his deliveries.

Bardsley believes Alexander-Arnold's defensive weaknesses should not overshadow the qualities that make him such a dangerous creator. Speaking in an interview with Casinolyze, he said: "I love Trent Alexander-Arnold but I would be shocked to see him in a Manchester United shirt but it will be interesting to see what happens to him at Real Madrid, whether Jose Mourinho fancies him or not.

"We talk about his defending being an area where he needs to improve but he creates so many chances, and Madrid have so many willing runners, that you could just play him on the right in midfield. He’d play the role David Beckham used to play for Real, pinging balls for Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior to run onto because Trent is finding you no matter what.

"I think Mourinho will look at that and carve out a different sort of role for him, and it’d suit him down to the ground with the amount of time he’d get on the ball and the passes he could play. It wouldn’t be a bad idea at all but I can’t see him coming back to England to play for Manchester United. I can see him playing in a way that makes him the new David Beckham. Just not at United."

Alexander-Arnold is already experiencing the intensity of working under Mourinho during Real Madrid's pre-season preparations. The defender described the sessions at Valdebebas as demanding, with the heat and double sessions adding to the workload.

"So far, so good. It’s hot and very intense. We’re in preseason, and that’s what we expected,” he said through the club's official channels. "With Mourinho? Very good, very good. I’ve always admired the coach. I’ve played against him a couple of times and it’s a pleasure to work with him and his team."

For now, Alexander-Arnold is adapting to Mourinho's demanding pre-season regime while the question of his ideal position remains open. Whether Mourinho ultimately follows Bardsley's Beckham-inspired idea remains to be seen, but Alexander-Arnold's role will be one of the intriguing questions surrounding Los Blancos.