Jose Mourinho backs Trent Alexander-Arnold to remain part of Real Madrid plans past January transfer window despite exit rumours

Jose Mourinho believes Trent Alexander-Arnold will stay at Real Madrid in the January transfer window despite rumours the full-back is eyeing a return to the Premier League, with Liverpool reportedly interested alongside Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.

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Alexander-Arnold has only started four games for Real Madrid this season and racked up just 345 minutes in total, with new arrival Denzel Dumfries often preferred by Mourinho at right-back and midfielder Federico Valverde also deployed there.

Transfer rumours have leaked throughout October with Alexander-Arnold first linked to Liverpool if Pedro Porro joined Los Blancos, and then to three more of the Premier League’s top teams plus Bayern Munich.

But despite fielding Alexander-Arnold for just 53 minutes in all competitions in October, Mourinho insisted none of his right-back options are expected to request an exit.

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”Ultimately, they will all play. Tomorrow [against Racing Santander], Valverde will not start and one of the other two will,” Mourinho told AS.

”Against Barcelona, because of the circumstances, Dumfries ended up playing and Trent got a few minutes.

”And I do not think either of them is going to ask to leave. The demands of the season, with so many games and these ‘gifts,’ accumulated yellow cards, fatigue, the occasional injury... ultimately, everyone will play. I do not think we will have that kind of situation.”

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Alexander-Arnold was introduced in stoppage time of El Clasico and only has three more opportunities before the next international break, including on Sunday in Santander, after the Liverpudlian started for The Three Lions in September on his return to Thomas Tuchel's England squad after missing out on World Cup selection.

The Englishman has failed to produce anything like the creative impact he had in the Premier League since his €10 million (£8.4m) move from Liverpool to Real Madrid, with Alexander-Arnold’s assist tally since his La Liga debut sitting at six.

The last time he recorded fewer than eight in a season with The Reds was 2017/18.

Dumfries has hit the ground running in the Spanish capital, racking up almost 600 minutes, and Valverde has started out of position at right-back three times - just one fewer than Alexander-Arnold.

”First of all, it hurts me. I do not like creating bad feelings among players. I want to create good feelings,” Mourinho added.

”Obviously, when you build a squad around having two players for each position and then you play a third player there, it is something I do not like.

”But there are other things that are more important than those feelings. Things that are more important for the team at a particular moment.

”And I thought that, right now, the right thing was to change the midfield and put Fede [Valverde] there.

”But I was thinking about the team, not individual players.

”Trent and Dumfries responded well when I explained that it was a decision made for the team, not against the players.”

If Alexander-Arnold is not involved on Sunday against Racing Santander, his next chance to feature will be on Wednesday when Real Madrid face AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League, live with TNT Sports on HBO Max.

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