The article from Empire of the Kop, published September 28, 2026, discusses the possibility of Trent Alexander-Arnold returning to Liverpool next summer, only around nine months after leaving for Real Madrid. Importantly, this is an opinion/speculation piece, not confirmation that Liverpool are negotiating a transfer.
According to the report, Football Transfers’ Robin Bairner, relaying a TEAMtalk claim, says Liverpool are among several Premier League clubs monitoring Alexander-Arnold’s situation in Madrid. The interest is linked largely to his reduced playing time under new Real Madrid manager José Mourinho.
🇪🇸 His situation at Real Madrid
The article says Alexander-Arnold had made five appearances from Real Madrid’s first eight matches, starting three, while being an unused substitute in three. He had played 292 of a possible 720 minutes at that point.
Real Madrid also signed Denzel Dumfries, who had accumulated significantly more playing time, leading the article to question whether Alexander-Arnold remains a first-choice player under Mourinho. Mourinho has also experimented with him in midfield.
The article compares his recent minutes:
* 2024/25: 3,479 minutes
* 2025/26: 1,794 minutes
* 2026/27 projection: about 2,044 minutes if Real Madrid play the same number of matches as the previous season.
The projection is the author’s calculation, not an official forecast.
🔴 Why Liverpool could consider bringing him back
The article argues that Liverpool could eventually need another right-back. Conor Bradley has had injury problems, while Jeremie Frimpong has not completely established himself at right-back. Ronald Araújo has also been used in the position.
The author suggests Alexander-Arnold’s experience could potentially complement Bradley rather than prevent his development. There would also be a roughly five-year age gap between them.
💰 The biggest issue: transfer cost
A potential deal would depend heavily on Real Madrid’s asking price and whether Liverpool actually want to bring Alexander-Arnold back.
Real Madrid reportedly paid around €10 million (£8.5m) to Liverpool to release him early from his contract. The article speculates that Madrid could potentially make a profit if they eventually sold him, while also removing his wages from their payroll.
❤️ Would Trent want to return?
That’s another major unanswered question. His departure from Liverpool generated a strong reaction among some supporters, and the article notes that his return could therefore be complicated.
However, the piece also points out that Alexander-Arnold remains a player with significant technical quality and a major history at Liverpool, where he won major honours during the club’s successful period under Jürgen Klopp and later managers.
