Welcome to the world of Real Madrid, Mr. Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The former Liverpool right-back made his LaLiga debut in a 1-0 win over Osasuna on Tuesday night and has already been singled-out for criticism.
A Kylian Mbappe penalty decided the contest at the Bernabeu where Alexander-Arnold was one of three new signings to start the match.
Signing on a free transfer from hometown side Liverpool in the summer, Los Blancos ended up paying the Reds a reported £8.4millon to get him out of his contract early and into the Club World Cup.
There he featured six times and recorded two assists before picking up an injury which took him out of a 4-0 semi-final thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
Now back in the line-up for the 2025/26 season opener, the 26-year-old played 68 minutes, and none of them were particularly impressive.
Trent ‘isn’t up to the level’
Summing up what he saw post-match, the editor of leading Spanish sport outlet AS, Thomas Roncero, addressed his concerns.
“He’s a player who, at the moment, isn’t up to the level of Real Madrid,” he said on radio station Cadena SER.
“I know what Real Madrid fans like, and he’s a player who runs, who fights, who doesn’t feel cold, who wins the byline and can put it in… That’s not Trent at the moment.
“Has he been signed to be a full-back who plays in the middle? I doubt it. Has he been signed to be a full-back who plays short and takes corners? I also doubt it.
“He’s a kid who’s been very important at Liverpool and has to adapt to Real Madrid.”
Carvajal another cause for concern for Trent
That’s not all, though. Alexander-Arnold was replaced in the second-half at right-back by returning club captain and legend Dani Carvajal.
The five-time Champions League winner missed much of last season with a horror double anterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament injury, but he didn’t skip a beat upon returning, making another cameo after his first minutes back against PSG.
Roncero now thinks he could lose his place at right-back, adding: “He’s breathing down the neck of a player like Carvajal, who will overtake him as soon as he lets his guard down.
“I expected more from him at the start of the season. The rest [of the new signings] delivered.”
Former Bournemouth man Dean Huijsen started the match in defence alongside fellow new arrival from Benfica Alvaro Carreras, while recent signing Franco Mastantuono was afforded some late minutes.
However, Alexander-Arnold is causing more concern, with one of Roncero’s colleagues, Spanish pundit Javier Herraez, expressing concerns even ahead of the match against Osasuna.
“I’m waiting for Trent. He’s come to play, and against Osasuna I’m waiting for the Englishman,” he said.
“But I don’t see him in good shape. I’ve always liked watching the Premier League, watching this player. He’s better going forward than in defense, that’s more than obvious.
“He’s more of a wing player in a three-man defence than in a four-man defence. That’s where it’s hard for him to get deep.”
Herraez then brought up the similar worries, that there’s an exceptional replacement on the bench in Carvajal.
“But Trent has a month to get sharp, because if he doesn’t, Carvajal will eat him,” he added. “But come on, it’s a piece of cake.
“That’s what I think based on what I saw at the Club World Cup and the friendly. Trent is nowhere near the Liverpool player. Maybe it’s preseason, but I haven’t seen him [playing] well.”