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.