The Liverpool defender could be about to team up with his England colleague, and close friend, at Real Madrid. Gary Neville can’t relate, but sees a similarity to David’ Beckham’s situation 21 years ago.
Gary Neville has suggested that Jude Bellingham might have played a role in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s potential move to Real Madrid.
The Liverpool defender is expected to sign with the Spanish giants this summer when his contract with Liverpool expires, which has sparked significant anger among fans. This reaction is partly due to Alexander-Arnold being a local boy and a childhood Liverpool supporter, a situation that figures like Neville and Jamie Carragher, who spent their careers at one club, may find difficult to relate to. However, Neville can see parallels with his close friend David Beckham’s move from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2003.
Neville stated, “I think it’s understandable that Liverpool fans feel upset about the departure. As a fan and a local player, they have every right to feel that way.” He then drew a comparison to Beckham’s career, saying, “Looking at it from my perspective, thinking about Beckham’s career and his experiences after moving to Madrid, he wouldn’t have had the same journey if he had stayed at United. The experiences he had in Madrid and Milan were incredible.”
Roy Keane, Neville’s former Manchester United teammate, added, “There’s always a balance for a player at a big club. Do you stay or go? But moving to Madrid brings amazing experiences, competition, and a great lifestyle.”
Neville then questioned, “Could Jude Bellingham have influenced this decision?”
Keane responded, “They’ve probably talked, yes. The best compliment to Trent is that he’s going to Real Madrid, and no one is surprised. He’s capable of holding his own there. While he still has areas to improve, like every player, he can succeed.”
Neville agreed that Alexander-Arnold has the quality to play for Real Madrid but also expressed concerns about his defensive shortcomings, which he believes could be a problem. “He needs to focus more on his defending, or it might cause him issues at Real Madrid,” Neville said. “At Madrid, he’ll face tough competition from Federico Valverde, who currently plays right-back, and Dani Carvajal when he’s fit.”
Neville continued, “Carvajal is a more well-rounded full-back than Trent due to his balance between attacking and defending. Valverde’s current form is also exceptional, making it tough for Trent to secure a spot.”
