Softfootball reports that Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has moved to calm the noise around Trent Alexander-Arnold, insisting the club fully trusts the England international despite what’s honestly been a bit of a rough beginning to life in LaLiga.
Speaking ahead of Madrid’s next fixture, as revealed by sports expert Fabrizio Romano via his official X account, Alonso didn’t hesitate to defend his summer arrival, recognising the Englishman’s quality and stressing his importance to the club’s project:
Fabrizio tweeted:
Xabi Alonso: Trent is a top player, and we need him.
It’s his first year, and this adjustment period is normal. He’s also demanding of himself, and we have to support him through this significant change.
Alexander-Arnold, who arrived from Liverpool on a free transfer back in June 2025, hasn’t quite hit the ground running like some expected. A small injury set him back early on, and adapting to Alonso’s pretty structured and sometimes rigid tactical ideas hasn’t been the easiest task.
So far, he’s had only limited minutes; short cameos in big games like the 1–0 Champions League defeat to Liverpool and the frustrating 0–0 draw with Rayo Vallecano haven’t exactly helped the public perception. He, however, played 90 minutes in the Champions League victory over Olympiacos and the draw against Elche.
Alonso, though, isn’t sounding any alarms. He noted that this kind of adjustment is “totally normal” for a player stepping into a new league with new expectations.
According to him, Trent is very demanding of himself, and the coaching staff is working closely with him to speed up the adaptation, especially during the international breaks where he’s been training intensely to get back to full rhythm.
There’s also growing talk about how Alexander-Arnold might be used going forward. Alonso has apparently tested a 3-4-3 setup in training, a system that could let Trent push higher, almost like an extra midfielder, where his passing range can actually shine.
Some reports even whisper that he could pop up in a defensive midfield role now and then, something he did in bits at Liverpool and the English National Team.
Despite the early criticism swirling around, Alonso sounds pretty convinced. He praised the defender’s attitude and professionalism, adding that once Trent is fully settled, he’ll “make a big impact.” And with Dani Carvajal still out recovering and Madrid juggling pressure on multiple fronts, that impact might be needed sooner rather than later.
For now, the message from the manager is loud enough: give Trent time, keep the support steady, and trust that the real version of him will show up soon enough.
