Trent Alexander-Arnold could be heading back to the Premier League with Chelsea — and not Liverpool — after Xabi Alonso reportedly approved a move to bring his former Real Madrid right-back to Stamford Bridge.
The 28-year-old England international has lost his regular place at Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho and is reportedly beginning to consider his future, according to reports on Thursday. Alexander-Arnold has made only six appearances in all competitions this season, with one assist, and was again an unused substitute on Wednesday night as Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4-1 in the Champions League — a night when a midfielder was preferred to him in his own position.
A Madrid move that has not worked
Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool in the summer of 2025 after nine seasons in the first team, having won two Premier League titles and the Champions League, among other honours. The move was supposed to take his game to another level. Instead, as TEAMtalk reported, he has become an afterthought in Mourinho's selections, with box-to-box midfielder Federico Valverde getting the nod at right-back ahead of him, and summer signing Denzel Dumfries also competing for the position.
Real Madrid are not actively pushing him out, but reports say they would consider selling if a suitable offer arrived. That matters because of the numbers: Madrid paid only around €10 million to sign him when he had a month left on his Liverpool deal, so any serious Premier League bid would hand them a substantial profit on a player they are barely using. His contract runs until June 2031, however, so the Spanish club are under no pressure to sell cheaply.
Why Alonso wants a reunion
According to reporter Simon Phillips, via Football365, Alonso is keen to forge a reunion with Alexander-Arnold at Stamford Bridge and has essentially approved the move as far as the manager is concerned. Alonso managed the defender during his own time at Real Madrid and knows exactly what his passing range and delivery would add to Chelsea's build-up play.
The timing is no coincidence. Chelsea captain Reece James has undergone knee surgery and is expected to miss around three months. Marco Palestra is young and unproven, and winger Pedro Neto has often been pressed into service at right wing-back this season. Sports Mole reported that Chelsea are prepared to explore signing Alexander-Arnold should he become available, although no formal talks with Madrid or an official offer have yet been confirmed.
So what happens next?
This is where it gets tangled — because Liverpool are in this story twice. The Reds are among four Premier League clubs said to be monitoring Alexander-Arnold's situation, alongside Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City, and they still have their own right-back problem: Jeremie Frimpong has floundered and picked up another muscle injury, while Ronald Araujo is only on loan, as we examined in our look at Liverpool's attacking dilemma under Andoni Iraola.
The other thread is Malo Gusto. Liverpool tried to sign the Chelsea right-back on deadline day in the summer, baulked at a £75 million asking price when Chelsea insisted on permanence rather than a straight loan, and are now, according to reporter Dean Jones, able to revisit the deal in January at a reduced price. If Alexander-Arnold arrives at Stamford Bridge, Gusto would reportedly be given the green light to leave — meaning one transfer could solve two clubs' right-back problems at once, in opposite directions.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This would be the most awkward homecoming in Premier League history. Alexander-Arnold burned his bridges at Anfield to chase a dream in Madrid, and that dream has left him watching a midfielder play his position. A return to Liverpool would be a humiliation; a move to Chelsea would be a statement — reuniting with the one manager who backed him in Spain, at a club that desperately needs his creativity now James is out again. Madrid hold the contract, but a player with six appearances by late October holds no power at all — and everybody in this story knows it. Should Chelsea sign Alexander-Arnold, or would a Liverpool return make more sense? Let us know in the comments.
