Trent Alexander-Arnold linked with controversial Premier League return that would enrage Liverpool

Robin Bairner

26 Jan 2026 08:56 GMT
4 min read

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Real Madrid — © IMAGO

Trent Alexander-Arnold is being closely monitored by Manchester City amid growing doubts over his Real Madrid future, with a potential Premier League return certain to inflame Liverpool supporters.

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The right-back only moved to Los Blancos at the beginning of June but has struggled to impress at the Bernabeu since leaving Liverpool in a controversial €10 million deal.

Injuries and poor form have seen the 27-year-old struggle to make the expected impact and Spain, with reports claiming that manager Alvaro Arbeloa has already told him that he has no future at the club.

Claims that Trent is on his way out of Real Madrid have been denied by some sections of the UK media, but TeamTalk reports that Manchester City are following his fortunes and weighing up the possibility of a bid that would see the England international return to the Premier League.

Trent Alexander-Arnold to Manchester City: A deal being studied

Four points off Premier League leaders Arsenal, City have made decisive moves in January for Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo, but while a third for Trent does not appear on the cards, Pep Guardiola’s side are considering a summer deal.

This is fuelled by claims that Alexander-Arnold is “frustrated” with the way his time in Spain has gone so far, yet equally he still has an appetite to stay and fight for his place under Arbeloa.

Should the situation continue to deteriorate, the possibility of the Etihad side moving is very real.

Current ETV

Trent Alexander-Arnold

D (R)

Real Madrid

Trent Alexander-Arnold

D (R)

Real Madrid

ETV Range

€60.8M - €74.3M

Trent has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €67.6 million, and under contract until 2031, Real Madrid still have the possibility of setting a big fee for him.

Indeed, having snapped him up towards the end of his Liverpool contract, Los Blancos stand to make a huge profit on the player if they were to sell for around that price.

A deal to anger Liverpool

Trent moving back to the Premier League is unlikely to go down well at Liverpool, who were unhappy with the manner in which he conducted himself during his negotiations with Real Madrid.

Indeed, when he returned to Anfield on Champions League duty with his new club in November, he was jeered by sections of the Liverpool support.

Jamie Carragher explained to CBS: “A lot of them feel like they’ve been a bit hoodwinked by Trent - not just over his time at the club, but particularly over the last year. He’s avoided media interviews, stayed quiet while there was speculation about him.

“Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk were open in saying they wanted to stay, but Trent stayed silent, and that’s where a lot of the frustration from the fans comes from.”

Why did Liverpool fans boo Trent? Here is your answer. Never mind listening to the London media, here is a Liverpool perspective. He made his bed and cut all ties when he walked out on his boyhood club. Now he'll have to live with that decision forever pic.twitter.com/2MVUsgXomB
— Green Scouser (@Green_Scouser) November 4, 2025

Trent’s legacy in the balance

While Alexander-Arnold moving to City would not be treated with the same animosity as a deal with Manchester United, for example, Liverpool fans are unlikely to take kindly to their former academy product turning out for a Premier League rival – particularly one that they have battled so regularly against at the top of the table in recent seasons.

If Guardiola’s side were to pull off a coup and sign him from Real Madrid, it would simply be another controversial chapter for Trent, whose Liverpool legacy would only be further tarnished.