Trent Alexander-Arnold’s attitude shocks Real Madrid

Trent has arrived like a rocket. He’s smashed the door open—and expectations were already sky-high. But he’s exceeding them. On the pitch, in the dressing room, and above all, physically. From the very first training sessions, it’s become clear: a Galáctico has been signed. The kind that makes you feel those €10 million were money well spent. Painful, yes—but less so now.

Trent—not Alexander-Arnold, remember—is a footballer in capital letters. A real deal. And he’s already making an impact.

“Physically, he’s like a beast,” says an insider. And that means something, because physical readiness was the only concern heading into the Club World Cup. Would he be at 100%? Would he need time to get fully fit? Nothing could be further from the truth. He’s ready to start—and he will.

From here, the focus shifts: adapting to his teammates, learning the team’s mechanics, understanding the basics. Which, in this case, is no small feat.

Because Trent carries a stat that casts a long shadow: since his Premier League debut in December 2016, he’s the most dribbled-past defender in the league (299 times, per Opta). That’s the Achilles heel. He needs to be more solid. More of a wall. Especially in one-on-one situations.

Arne Slot didn’t let him leave Anfield without a reminder: “I tell him: you’re a much better defender than people say—but you don’t always show it. That’s why people doubt you. If you focus, there aren’t many who can beat you. But you have to prove it every game,” he said on May 23, on the eve of the final Premier League match day.

The new coaching staff is already working on it. They’re asking for intensity—one of the buzzwords in this first week. And they’re drilling him with dynamic defensive exercises. There’s real belief that he’ll improve.

Just as there’s no doubt about his magic going forward. If the last stat made you nervous, here’s one to ease your mind: since debuting in the Premier League, no defender has registered more assists—64 in total.

That brings us to another key point: On the second day of training—Saturday morning, just before the flight to Miami—Trent was already on corner duty at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground. Practicing, learning the playbook. The staff had him in mind as one of the takers, and from day one, the fit was natural. A perfectly placed ball toward Huijsen’s head went viral. And there were others just like it. He’ll take most of the corners from the right.

The man behind that iconic corner against Barcelona knows what he’s doing.

Yes, his mission is to improve his defending, his duels, his one-on-ones. But on everything else, there’s total consensus: he’s leaving teammates, coaches, and staff speechless. Trent has arrived like a rocket. He’ll be the starting right back in the tournament—no doubt. And in the medium term, a spectacular battle with Carvajal is looming. Because a Galáctico has landed. And he’s making an impact.