Trent Alexander-Arnold is still striving to become a star player at Real Madrid, but several Liverpool legends say the club has keenly felt his absence. The right-back decided to leave his boyhood side for Los Blancos in 2025 as he embarked on a new chapter with the Spanish giants.
Alexander-Arnold helped redefine what can be expected of a full-back, with his impeccable passing making him a game-changer from a deeper position. He was integral to Jurgen Klopp’s side as the Reds won the Champions League in 2019 and ended Liverpool’s 30-year wait for a league title in 2020. In his final year at Anfield, the defender signed off by once again lifting the Premier League trophy.
Struggles at Real Madrid
The 28-year-old’s decision to leave for Real Madrid sparked frustration from a section of Liverpool supporters. The England international was widely expected to flourish for the Spanish giants, but Alexander-Arnold struggled to find momentum as he battled injuries.
He is yet to become indispensable to Jose Mourinho, who is preparing to face his former club Roma in the Champions League after a mixed start in La Liga, with the full-back starting four of nine games. While Liverpool are focused on facing LASK on Wednesday, three club icons have previously admitted that losing Alexander-Arnold was a huge blow.
Jamie Carragher on Wirtz
Jamie Carragher previously argued that Florian Wirtz arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for a huge fee in 2025 to replace Alexander-Arnold’s creativity. Despite playing in different positions, the legendary Liverpool defender argued that Wirtz was signed to have the same impact on the team but had so far failed to replicate Alexander-Arnold’s success.
“It sounds odd to say it, but Wirtz was signed to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold – a No 10 to provide the passing range and creativity of a unique full-back,” Carragher wrote for The Telegraph in October 2025. “He is yet to add what Liverpool are missing without Alexander-Arnold, while at the same time the team has lost the intensity which made them so difficult to play against.”
Carragher remains unconvinced that Wirtz will ultimately deliver on his £116million price tag. The 48-year-old argued that the Germany international deserves to be dropped following Liverpool’s recent defeat to Manchester City.
Robertson and Gerrard reflect
Andy Robertson thrived on the opposite flank to Alexander-Arnold throughout most of his time at Anfield. The left-back remained with Liverpool for a year after Alexander-Arnold’s exit and conceded that the Reds had been impacted by his move to Madrid, but commended his former teammate for stepping into the unknown.
“I think obviously we’ve missed him as a player, there’s no doubt about that. We’ve missed him as a character as well,” Robertson said on The Overlap in May. “But he’s went on to try something new and sometimes you just have to take your hat off to that.”
As a fellow Liverpool academy graduate, Steven Gerrard admitted that it was difficult to see Alexander-Arnold join another club. The former Reds captain outlined the challenge of replacing the right-back, despite signing Jeremie Frimpong in 2025 and having Conor Bradley in their ranks, and shared his hope for an emotional return to Anfield.
“I wished and hoped that Trent didn’t leave us,” Gerrard told BFM Radio in May. “Certainly, you understand and respect that every player has got their own career and can make their own decisions.
“But it’s very difficult to replace a player at Trent’s level because he’s world-class. Hopefully, hopefully, he might return one day.”
