Mourinho arrival and Dumfries signing leave Alexander-Arnold fighting for Real Madrid future

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s difficult first season at Real Madrid looks set to grow more complicated, with José Mourinho confirmed as the club’s new head coach and Denzel Dumfries closing in on a £17.3 million move to the Bernabéu.

Mourinho flew from Lisbon to Madrid on Wednesday and his appointment was confirmed the same evening, with his contract officially beginning in July. Almost simultaneously, Real Madrid activated the release clause in Dumfries’s Inter contract, with the Netherlands international reportedly set to sign a four-year deal — a move that directly threatens Alexander-Arnold’s grip on the right-back position.

Former Premier League striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes the combination of Mourinho’s defensive preferences and Dumfries’s arrival could significantly reduce Alexander-Arnold’s role. “If it’s Jose Mourinho, it is most likely that his chances are really big because Mourinho likes his defenders to defend first,” Hasselbaink said. “We all know Trent’s quality, but Trent’s quality is going forward. So in a sense, if it is Mourinho, I think Dumfries will play quite a bit.”

Hasselbaink did, however, suggest the situation could work in Mourinho’s favour tactically. “It’s a great luxury for Mourinho to have because he’s got two completely different types of right-backs and he can go in different tactical directions. So I still think that Trent will get a lot of game time. But yeah, there’s competition, and that’s normal at a big club.”

Alexander-Arnold made 30 appearances across all competitions in his debut campaign after leaving Liverpool on a free transfer last summer, sharing the right-back berth with Dani Carvajal as Real Madrid finished second in La Liga behind Barcelona. Injuries and inconsistent form blighted his season, and his contract has not been extended.

Those struggles have had international consequences too. Thomas Tuchel omitted Alexander-Arnold from his England squad for the 2026 World Cup, a decision that drew a sharp response from Gary Neville. “Part of me thinks we are mishandling a generational talent,” Neville told Rio Ferdinand, questioning why two successive England managers had left the 26-year-old out. “Are they both wrong? Why would a manager leave a player out if they thought they would make them better to win the World Cup?”

With Mourinho now in charge and Dumfries expected to be confirmed shortly, Alexander-Arnold faces a pivotal pre-season to prove he can adapt to the demands of a new manager who has historically prioritised defensive solidity over attacking output from his full-backs.