Former Premier League full-back Alan Hutton believes Trent Alexander-Arnold would thrive at Chelsea if he reunited with former Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso, who would use the England international's attacking threat correctly.
Struggles at Real Madrid
Alexander-Arnold left boyhood club Liverpool to join Real Madrid two summers ago, but injuries limited him to just 21 league appearances under Alonso and interim replacement Alvaro Arbeloa. Although fit this campaign, he has struggled for regular minutes under Jose Mourinho, starting only one of the club's last six matches in all competitions.
Summer signing Denzel Dumfries has moved above Alexander-Arnold in the pecking order, while Mourinho has also preferred Federico Valverde as a makeshift right-back. Hutton believes the lack of game time may prompt the 28-year-old to consider his options, with Chelsea earmarked as the ideal destination.
Hutton's Verdict on a Premier League Return
Speaking to OLBG, Hutton said: 'Trent Alexander-Arnold could thrive at Chelsea because Xabi Alonso would use him in the correct manner and get the best out of him, because his attacking threat is ridiculous.' He added that Alexander-Arnold's vision and passing ability are 'right up there'.
Hutton noted that watching El Clasico, Valverde played at right-back while Dumfries and Trent were on the bench. 'Even for me, as good a player as Valverde is, he's a midfielder, so that would hurt you a bit. It's been a shame that it hasn't quite worked out, but he's so talented.'
He concluded: 'I think a move back to the Premier League would suit him, he knows it inside out. Someone like Alonso, with what he'd want from him, would use him in the correct manner and get the best out of him.'
Mourinho and Carragher Weigh In
Mourinho recently admitted that omitting Alexander-Arnold has been a painful decision. 'First of all, it hurts me. I don't like to make players feel bad. I want them to feel good,' he said. 'But there are things that are more important than these feelings. Things that are more important for the team at a given moment. And I decided that right now, the move was to change up the midfield and put Fede [Valverde] in there.'
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said he would welcome Alexander-Arnold back to Anfield. 'I'd have him back,' Carragher said on The Overlap. 'He would get a lot of criticism, because I think he made a mistake. I think he made a big mistake going to Madrid. We've definitely missed his creativity.'
