“A dressing room like this is a challenge” - Trent Alexander-Arnold opens up on feeling the weight of Real Madrid transfer

Trent Alexander-Arnold has revealed that he relishes the challenge of playing for Real Madrid. The Englishman left Liverpool this summer to complete a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Alexander-Arnold's contract with the Merseyside club was due to expire at the end of June. However, Los Blancos paid a small fee, reportedly around £10m, to speed up his arrival in time for the FIFA Club World Cup.

The 26-year-old rose through the ranks at Anfield before developing into one of the best right-backs in the Premier League. The LaLiga giants roped in Alexander-Arnold as part of succession plans for Dani Carvajal, who is already on the wrong side of 30.

Speaking recently to GQ magazine, as cited by AS, the Englishman added that that weight of the Real Madrid shirt inspires him to give his all on the pitch.

“It’s a challenge, but it’s one I welcome. The Bernabeu is sacred. You feel the weight of the shirt, but that’s what drives you to give it your all. A dressing room like this is a challenge, but one that motivates,” said Alexander-Arnold.

Carvajal, interestingly, is already in the final 12 months of his contract and hasn't been offered a new deal yet. The Spanish right-back is coming back from an ACL injury that saw him miss much of the last campaign. Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold has registered eight appearances for Real Madrid so far, all but one of which were starts.

Are Real Madrid planning a Bosman move for Marc Guehi in 2026?

Real Madrid are ready to take Marc Guehi to the Santiago Bernabeu next summer, according to ESPN. The English defender's contract with Crystal Palace expires at the end of this season, and he hasn't signed a new deal yet.

Guehi was a whisker away from joining Liverpool this summer in a reported £35m deal on deadline day. Unfortunately, the move broke down in the eleventh hour after the Eagles failed to bring in a replacement.

The 25-year-old appears unlikely to commit his future at Selhurst Park, so he will be free to talk to potential suitors in January. The situation has alerted Real Madrid, who have developed a knack of picking up talented players for free in recent summers.

However, Los Blancos are not the only club eyeing Guehi with interest. Barcelona are also hot on the Englishman's heels, while Liverpool could return for him in 2026 as well.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9500 articles for the website, and has garnered close to 21 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit