Dumfries signing at Real Madrid deepens Alexander-Arnold's Bernabeu crisis

Real Madrid have agreed to sign Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan for £17.3m, triggering the Dutch international’s release clause and handing Trent Alexander-Arnold another obstacle in his battle for a starting place at the Bernabeu.

Dumfries, 30, has undergone his medical at the Spanish club and is set to sign a four-year contract, adding direct competition at right-back to a position Alexander-Arnold had been expected to make his own after leaving Liverpool last year.

The former Liverpool captain arrived at Real Madrid following the departure of long-serving right-back Dani Carvajal, which had appeared to open the door for Alexander-Arnold to establish himself. Instead, the 27-year-old has endured a difficult debut period in Spain, hampered by injuries and a lack of consistent form. The arrival of Dumfries now makes his path to regular first-team football considerably harder.

Alexander-Arnold’s troubles extend beyond club level. England head coach Thomas Tuchel omitted him from his 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada — a significant blow for a player who had been a fixture in the national setup. Tuchel acknowledged the difficulty of the selection process without singling out individuals.

“I’m very confident in the group that we chose,” Tuchel said. “Very difficult decisions and painful conversations; difficult for the players and to explain the decisions. But what we try to achieve, we tried to nominate a balanced squad. We have to leave some extraordinary talents at home. If we pick these names, then other big names would have been left out and then we would talk about those names.”

Alexander-Arnold’s exclusion is part of a broader shift: no Liverpool player features in the England squad for the first time in four decades.

At club level, Real Madrid are also navigating a period of transition. Álvaro Arbeloa, appointed head coach in January following Xabi Alonso’s departure, is expected to be replaced once the club’s presidential election concludes. José Mourinho is reportedly in line to return to the Bernabeu on a three-year deal should Florentino Pérez win the vote.

For Alexander-Arnold, the combination of managerial uncertainty, a new rival for his position, and international exile marks a turbulent start to life after Anfield.