Mourinho Rejects Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid Midfield Role as Long-Term Fix
Trent Alexander-Arnold helped Real Madrid to a 2-1 European win at the Santiago Bernabeu after being deployed in central midfield alongside Federico Valverde, but Jose Mourinho has ruled out treating the experiment as a lasting solution.
The former Liverpool defender was moved inside because Madrid were short of creative options for the visit of Italian opposition. Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva were all unavailable through suspension, leaving Mourinho to reshape his side from the players at hand.
Alexander-Arnold and Valverde completed the job in midfield as Madrid secured the victory, with the England international praised for following the manager’s instructions. Mourinho said the pair had understood the tactical demands of the occasion and operated effectively together.
Mourinho sees Alexander-Arnold as a full-back
Despite the encouraging result, Mourinho was firm in his assessment of Alexander-Arnold’s best position. He noted that the 26-year-old has previously featured in midfield for both Liverpool and England, but insisted that those appearances do not make him a natural central player.
The Madrid coach pointed to the contrasting physical requirements of playing centrally and operating at full-back. He said Alexander-Arnold had made a significant effort but found the workload increasingly difficult, particularly in the closing stages, before being substituted after running out of energy.
“He has played in midfield for England and Liverpool, but he is not a midfielder,” Mourinho said. “He played very well and understood tactically what he had to do. He and Valverde worked very well at this level.”
Mourinho added that the specialist demands of the two roles were markedly different, explaining that Alexander-Arnold “didn’t have anything more to give” by the end of the match.
Crossing quality amid defensive limitations
Alexander-Arnold still showed the delivery that made him one of Europe’s most productive attacking full-backs, attempting more crosses than any other Madrid player during the 2-1 win.
However, his defensive numbers underlined the difficulty of the temporary switch. He did not win a tackle while operating in the middle of the pitch, where he was required to cover different areas and deal with a more sustained physical contest than he would from the right flank.
Competition remains intense at Madrid
The outing also comes amid a competitive start to Alexander-Arnold’s Madrid career following his move from Liverpool. The summer signing of Denzel Dumfries has increased the pressure for places at right-back, with the Netherlands international starting three of Madrid’s opening four La Liga matches.
Once Camavinga, Guler and Bernardo Silva return from suspension and other senior players regain fitness, Alexander-Arnold is likely to be considered again for the defensive line rather than midfield. He could also face further spells among the substitutes as Mourinho restores his preferred options.
