‘He’s Going to Find it Tough There’ – Gary Neville Warns Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold Ahead of Imminent Real Madrid Switch

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has said Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold will face serious competition if he joins Real Madrid in the summer transfer window. 

According to the most trusted sources, Alexander-Arnold is inching towards a move to Real Madrid. The Englishman, who is one of Jude Bellingham’s closest friends, will join on a free when his Liverpool deal expires on 30 June. The deal has yet to conclude, but both parties are confident of pushing it over the line.

🚨💣 Trent Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid, closer and closer after story revealed 1 year ago.

The official contract proposal from Real has been sent to TAA and his camp.

Discussions underway on details of the deal; all parties involved CONFIDENT to get the agreement done. pic.twitter.com/jlXHEzP2MX

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 25, 2025

Gary Neville Explains Why Trent Alexander-Arnold Will Struggle at Real Madrid

Real Madrid have long been searching for a quality right-back. In Alexander-Arnold, Los Blancos will have one of the most impactful defenders in the business, but Neville is not confident that creativity alone would help the Englishman succeed at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Discussing Alexander-Arnold’s chances of securing a starting berth at Madrid, Neville said on the Stick To Football podcast (via The Mirror):

“I said that I thought he [Trent Alexander-Arnold] had to get more serious about his defending – I’ve said that constantly – or else it will cause him problems. 

“I think it will cause him a problem at Real Madrid because they have Federico Valverde, who is playing right-back currently, and Dani Carvajal when he’s back – he’s going to have some serious competition. They are brilliant players, and he’s going to find it tough there.”

Neville: Carvajal Is Better Than Alexander-Arnold

Neville also compared Carvajal with Alexander-Arnold, claiming the Spaniard brought more to the table than the Liverpool man.

He added:

“[On whether Valverde and Carvajal are better than Trent] I think Carvajal, from a balance of going forward and back – the problem is that he’s 32 and has had a bad injury – but for me, Carvajal is a better full-back than Trent because of what he gives to the team.

“It’s unbelievable what Valverde is doing for them at the moment, so he’s going to have competition when he goes.”

Alexander-Arnold, who came through the ranks at Liverpool, has played 349 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 22 goals and providing 87 assists. He has won one Premier League title, one UEFA Champions League trophy, and an FA Cup, among other honours.