'He needs to get more serious about his defending' - Gary Neville claims Dani Carvajal is 'BETTER' than Trent Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool star is sent brutal warning ahead of Real Madrid transfer

Alexander-Arnold is on the verge of agreeing a deal with Real Madrid after running down his Liverpool contract, but Neville is unsure whether he has the defensive instincts to be a success at the Bernabeu. The England star will likely face competition from Carvajal for the right-back spot, and Manchester United legend Neville believes the veteran Spaniard is a more complete player.

Alexander-Arnold is widely regarded as one of the best attacking full-backs in the world. The 26-year-old has provided more assists than any other defender in the Premier League since making his debut in 2016, but his defensive capabilities have been often been questioned by pundits and fans alike.

Carvajal, meanwhile, is more experienced, having been a serial winner with Real Madrid for more than a decade, with six Champions League crowns, four La Liga titles and 16 other trophies to his name. He has been out of action since October after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament, but should be back in action around the start of the new season.

Neville, who was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, said: "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. 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.

"[On whether Valverde and Carvajal are better than Trent] 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."

Alexander-Arnold is currently out of action with an ankle injury suffered during the second leg of Liverpool's Champions League last-16 defeat to PSG. Reports this week claimed he has virtually agreed a deal with Real, which would see him sign a long-term contract as soon he officially departs Anfield at the end of June. Before then, Alexander-Arnold will look to return for the final month of the season and help Arne Slot's side seal only their second Premier League title.