Sheringham tips Trent Alexander-Arnold for Arsenal move

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid has not gone to plan, and former England striker Teddy Sheringham has raised the prospect of a sensational summer switch to Arsenal as the 27-year-old’s circumstances in the Spanish capital continue to deteriorate.

Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool last year with the right-back position at the Bernabeu and even the Ballon d’Or in his sights. The reality has been very different. He struggled with both injuries and form and failed in his bid to permanently displace veteran Dani Carvajal from the starting XI. He was subsequently left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad. The pending exit of Carvajal had offered a glimmer of hope, but that was extinguished when Real Madrid agreed a deal to sign Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries, removing the opportunity that Alexander-Arnold had been counting on.

The managerial instability adds another layer of uncertainty. Xabi Alonso was sacked at the turn of the year, followed by interim manager Alvaro Arbeloa, and Jose Mourinho has now been confirmed as the next permanent manager. Alexander-Arnold will be working under his third coach since joining Madrid. Arsenal, meanwhile, could be in the market for right-back cover with Ben White and Jurrien Timber both affected by injuries last season, leaving centre-back Cristhian Mosquera to regularly step into the breach for Mikel Arteta’s Premier League champions.

What Teddy Sheringham said about Alexander-Arnold to Arsenal

Sheringham was speaking to BOYLE Sports when he raised the prospect of a move to north London. “Liverpool fans might not want him back, so it does narrow down where he could go, doesn’t it,” he said. “He doesn’t immediately strike me as an Arsenal player, to be fair. I think they’re too strong and resilient and work as a proper back four unit. But they could make it work for him.”

The former Manchester United striker drew an instructive comparison with previous players who flourished only within organised defensive structures. “Even if you have an organised back four with fantastic players, if you leave him on his own Trent looks all over the place, but that was true of Harry Maguire when Manchester United weren’t playing well. If you did that to Tony Adams or Steve Bruce, they’d have looked shocking.”

Sheringham’s conclusion was clear: “If you put Trent in an organised, structured back four, and they work as a unit, that’s what playing in a team like Arsenal is all about. If someone worked with Trent along those lines, coached him to get in the right position at the right times, then I’m sure he could improve in that position to give Arsenal that extra dimension that he brings to a team.”

What Alexander-Arnold himself has said about his Real Madrid future

Despite the difficult first season, which ended without a trophy after he had won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the FA Cup, two League Cups and the UEFA Super Cup during his time at Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold has publicly committed to his Madrid project.

Posting on Instagram at the end of the season, he wrote: “Madridistas, you have welcomed me with open arms. From the first day I arrived you have had my back. It took me a few months to find rhythm and settle in the new environment but I feel completely at home now. I will take a good break and put the work in over the summer. I promise we will bring trophies back to this amazing club next season.”

The statement suggests he has no intention of leaving. But the arrival of Dumfries, the transition to Mourinho and the ongoing competition for his position paint a picture of a player whose path to regular football at the Bernabeu has become significantly more complicated than he anticipated when he left Anfield.