Trent Alexander-Arnold joined Real Madrid to win the Ballon d'Or - but is England star at risk of being regularly benched by Xabi Alonso?

In truth, the early warning signs that Alexander-Arnold might leave Liverpool were there at the beginning of the 2024-25 season. Hindsight, of course, is 20/20. Some have pointed out, of late, that Alexander-Arnold didn't look particularly happy after the Reds beat Ipswich to open the season. There could be a number of reasons for that.

But the first big warning came in an otherwise fairly innocuous interview. He was asked by a Sky Sports interviewer if he would rather win the Ballon d'Or or the World Cup. Most might have said that glory with their nation is perhaps the best thing that can happen to any footballer. Alexander-Arnold took a different view. He wanted to win the Ballon d'Or.

"I believe I can. I want to be the first full-back to ever do it. "It's only the morning after you retire that you're able to look in the mirror and say, 'I gave it everything I got'," he said in October 2024.

It all sounded very Madrid-y - a Galactico-coded statement from a player who otherwise keeps a relatively low profile. Footballers who play for Liverpool, remember, do not tend to win the Ballon d'Or. It is an award reserved for the likes of Madrid, Barcelona - and perhaps now Paris Saint-Germain. In other words, Madrid is the place you go if you want to win this thing. 

And that's where some of the comedy comes from here. To win the award, you probably need to be on the pitch quite a bit. Alexander-Arnold started Los Blancos' first game of the season, and turned in a solid performance. He was basically just OK, Madrid as a whole were middling. They got a win. For them, this is all about systems, fluidity, and finding the right sort of combinations to ensure that the games later in the season are more easily navigable. In all honesty, they were able to Galactico their way to a 1-0 win over Osasuna.

That's exactly what they did. Alexander-Arnold pinged a few lovely passes right onto the boot of Vinicius Jr. He did some nice things with the ball. He was also left in the dust by opposing attackers on a couple of occasions. Google 'typical Trent Alexander-Arnold performance', and this is what you get. 

It was widely assumed, then, that he would get the chance to build on that a little. Sure, Madrid have options all over the pitch - more on that later - but there's no way their shiny new defender would be left out. So much for that sentiment. Next time out, Alexander-Arnold had to watch from the bench as Dani Carvajal turned in a far more compelling showing on the right.

Yet this is quite a typical Alonso thing. The Spaniard was hailed for his job as Bayer Leverkusen manager during the 2023-24 season. And with good reason. That almost-undefeated campaign is one of the finest managerial feats in recent memory. You'd be hard pressed to find a better one. They were one win away from an undefeated treble. Many made the argument that such a slate would be the best club season ever. 

But that side, good as it was, relied heavily on rotation. In fact, there were very few un-droppable players. Granit Xhaka was indispensable in midfield, and played every possible minute. Alex Grimaldo, Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba and Florian Wirtz were largely the same. But around them, Alonso was happy to shuffle his pack. Fifteen players racked up more than 2,000 minutes. Victor Boniface, the star striker who bagged 20 goals in all competitions, consistently ceded his starting spot to Patrik Schick, and only completed 90 minutes 23 times out of a possible 34. 

In fact, the most indicative difference during Alonso's tenure was the man who replaced Alexander-Arnold at Anfield. Jeremie Frimpong is regarded as one of the best right-backs in European football. Yet he started 52 of the 67 league games in which he was available from 2023-2025. 

Alonso suggested he might do much of the same at Madrid. "It depends on what we need in terms of the game, the workload and the opposition," he said after the Real Oviedo win. 

Part of the issue here is that Alexander-Arnold finds himself in competition with an already-excellent right-back. Carvajal might be coming off a serious knee operation, but 12 months ago he was an outside pick for the Ballon d'Or. The grizzled 33-year-old is an entirely different profile of player to Alexander-Arnold, but he does have some key advantages. He is, by pretty much all measures, a better defender - a scrappy one-on-one presence who seldom backs down from a fight or tackle. Carvajal is also more positionally disciplined in that he is far more comfortable holding width on the right - something that might be vital if Madrid continue to have problems with overcrowding on the left.

And perhaps more importantly than either is his leadership ability. Carvajal has been here for a decade. He knows what it means to play for Madrid and win with Madrid. In fact, it is the first thing that Alonso highlighted about his showing against Oviedo.

"Today he played 85 minutes very much in the Carvajal style. Competing well, communicating and taking that leadership role. Bringing a lot of sense to everything," Alonso outlined. Those comments don't bode well for Alexander-Arnold. 

Of course, there are different configurations here. Alonso has made it clear that he plans on rotating when he can. Rumours have already cropped up in the Spanish press that the Alexander-Arnold nuclear option could be brought into effect. 

Fans of both England and Liverpool will tell you that Alexander-Arnold is not a centre-midfielder. It's too tempting from a skillset and narrative point of view. He grew up idolising Steven Gerrard. He can pass, tackle and shoot from distance. Everything about his physical profile and technique suggests that he really could be an elite No.8. 

There will be calls for that to happen. There is a world in which Alexander-Arnold could be used as a No.6, as Gareth Southgate elected to do for England against lesser sides. Alexander-Arnold shone in those games. Alonso has shown already that he is unafraid to tinker with his sides. At one point, Kylian Mbappe briefly played as a No.10 of sorts last weekend. There will, in all likelihood, be times when Carvajal and Alexander-Arnold are on the pitch together. Alexander-Arnold, the centre-midfielder, could be toyed with. 

The compelling thing about this whole storyline - and yes, it is still interesting - is that we don't quite know what will happen. Sure, Alonso has two elite right-backs here, who play the same position in markedly different ways. For Alonso, this might just be the dream. He values versatility and tactical adaptability above everything else. Being able to rotate two world-class options is an enviable opportunity. 

He pointed out, in fact, that he plans on using everyone. "We have 20-odd players in the squad and I'm going to try to get the best out of all of them. Sometimes you can have a few minutes and be important... My intention is that everyone contributes to the team. That's going to be the norm," Alonso said.

But at some point, the best XI will have to be rolled out. Whether it be against Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League, or the first Clasico of the season, Alonso will have to pick his strongest side. And then, it will become clear if he is that same rotational manager, or just doesn't have full confidence in his first big signing.