Exclusive: Alexander-Arnold explains difference between Real Madrid and Liverpool

Trent Alexander-Arnold, after more than 20 years with his childhood club Liverpool, moved to Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer, and now he reflects on the key differences between the two clubs.

Real Madrid paid £10 million to secure the early release of 26-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool, enabling him to join his new teammates in the U.S. for the Club World Cup, a transfer approved by Los Blancos’ new manager, Xabi Alonso, and club executives.

FIFA recently approved an additional transfer window from June 1 to June 10, allowing clubs to register new players ahead of the expanded month-long Club World Cup.

Alexander-Arnold agreed to a six-year contract with his new club, following a successful career with the Merseyside outfit.

During his time at Anfield, he won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup, and League Cup.

He finishes his Liverpool career with 23 goals and 86 assists in 352 appearances across all competitions.

During the Club World Cup, Trent Alexander-Arnold has played in all three of Real Madrid’s matches, displaying his typical form following an unsteady debut against Al-Hilal in the opening game.

The English International put forth what he called his “best game,” as Los Blancos cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over RB Salzburg to earn a date in the knockout round against Juventus.

In a post-match interview with FootieCenter‘s Thierry Nyann, Trent Alexander-Arnold opened up about the significant challenges he’s facing, particularly the language barrier, which makes it difficult to engage in conversations due to his limited confidence in Spanish.

“The language, the location,” the 26-year-old revealed as the biggest difference between Liverpool and Real Madrid.

“Um, but you know, at the end of the day, it’s football. You play with different players, and of course, speaking and being part of the conversations is harder.

“You work hard to try to understand what people are saying, and be part of it. You know…But when you step out onto the pitch, you know your role, you understand it.”

He further shared that the manager has been incredibly supportive, taking extra steps to ensure he fully grasps tactical instructions despite the language challenges.

“The manager speaks to me a lot, individually, so I understand everything that gets said.

“So, I need to work harder to make sure I understand, as the meeting is in Spanish. So, you know, he goes out of his way to make sure I understand everything and the game plan.

“And when you step out onto the pitch, knowing that it’s the same thing no matter which club you’re playing for. It’s international football.

“At the end of the day, you step out there, and you’re playing against a team, and you’ve got a job to do, it’s pretty simple, you know, it’s football,” he said to Thierry Nyann.

Real Madrid will face Italian giants Juventus in the Club World Cup round of 16 on Tuesday, July 1, in Miami (19:00 GMT), with Trent Alexander-Arnold likely to play as he continues adjusting to his new team.