Mourinho echoes Klopp verdict: Alexander-Arnold is a right-back, not a midfielder

Jose Mourinho has arrived at the same conclusion as Jurgen Klopp: Trent Alexander-Arnold belongs at right-back, not in midfield. The Real Madrid manager deployed the England international in a central role during Tuesday’s Champions League opener against Inter Milan, only to confirm afterwards that the experiment had run its course.

Alexander-Arnold played 79 minutes at the Bernabeu before being replaced by Aurelien Tchouameni, with Real Madrid claiming a 2-1 victory. The unusual selection was partly forced by circumstance — Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva were all unavailable due to UEFA carry-over suspensions — while summer signing Denzel Dumfries, who arrived from Inter Milan for £17 million, filled the right-back slot against his former club.

Mourinho was measured but clear in his post-match assessment. “He has played midfield with England and Liverpool… But he is not a midfielder,” the Portuguese manager said. “He has played very well. He has interpreted what he needed to really well, tactically. Both him and [Federico] Valverde have worked very well at this level.”

The verdict mirrors what Klopp said publicly in 2023 after Alexander-Arnold dropped into a holding midfield role during a 4-3 Premier League win over Fulham, scoring an 88th-minute winner in the process. Despite the result, Klopp was unambiguous about his intentions. “I’m not stubborn and don’t want to play him in midfield, not at all, but I am not part of the discussion,” the German said at the time. “You can discuss it as much as you want, but it will not have any influence.”

Since joining Real Madrid last summer, Alexander-Arnold has had a stop-start debut season at the club, managing 35 appearances and registering five assists despite a series of injury setbacks. Mourinho’s arrival brought further competition for his natural position, with the Dumfries signing signalling that the Spaniards were not relying solely on the 26-year-old to fill the right-back role.

Alexander-Arnold’s midfield experiment at international level under Gareth Southgate also drew mixed reviews, and Tuesday’s display — described as “relatively ineffective” despite the win — appears to have settled the debate at club level for now.