Jamie Carragher has said he would welcome Trent Alexander-Arnold back at Liverpool, even though he believes the defender made a mistake by leaving the club. The former Reds defender's comments come as Alexander-Arnold's difficult spell at Real Madrid continues under Jose Mourinho, who returned to the Bernabeu in the summer.
Third-choice at Real Madrid
Alexander-Arnold has slipped to third-choice in the right-back pecking order and was an unused substitute in Real's El Clasico victory at Barcelona on Sunday. While Ronald Araujo, a centre-back by trade, has impressed in the position recently, the right side of defence has been a problem area for Liverpool since Alexander-Arnold's departure at the end of the title-winning 2024/25 season.
With the 28-year-old seemingly not wanted by Real and Liverpool needing a quality right-back, Carragher thinks it is time for him to reunite with his boyhood club.
Carragher's verdict
On whether the Reds should re-sign Alexander-Arnold, Carragher said on The Overlap: "I'd have him back. Give him plenty of stick, [because] I think he made a mistake. I think he made a big mistake."
"But, as I said, if something benefits Liverpool Football Club going forward… And when you think of the problems Liverpool have in terms of the right-back. Ronnie [Ronald Araujo] has been fantastic, but we do have a problem in terms of full-backs passing. We've definitely missed his creativity."
On Alexander-Arnold's situation at Real, Carragher added: "At the moment, he's actually third choice right-back for Real Madrid. They're playing a midfield player [Federico Valverde] at right-back, so even in El Clasico, Denzel Dumfries, the first-choice right-back, comes on as a sub. So when you're third choice at a club, they're obviously wanting you. Move on."
Injury opens door
There could be an opening for Alexander-Arnold after Valverde picked up an injury in El Clasico and played through the pain barrier before eventually being replaced by Dumfries. Speaking after the game, the Uruguayan said: "At half-time, the manager asked me if I could continue, so I tried."
"My leg was bothering me a little after a tackle I made. For me, it's very easy to keep playing with these kinds of team-mates who encourage you. It's an honour to share the field with them."
Mourinho was full of praise for the Uruguayan after the game, saying: "There's another name I didn't want to leave out, which is Valverde and playing injured for more than 40 minutes. He got injured, he wanted to keep going and push himself to his limits. He gave everything while he was on the field."
It seems Mourinho doesn't hold Alexander-Arnold in such high regard, meaning a return to Anfield cannot be ruled out.
