It's the question that just doesn't seem to go away - can Trent Alexander-Arnold really work in midfield? Gareth Southgate played him there for England during Euro 2024 before ending the experiment after only two group games. Jurgen Klopp's entire Liverpool gameplan relied on his ability to step into the middle and spray passes around... albeit from a starting position of right-back.
And now Jose Mourinho has become the latest manager to dabble, picking the 27-year-old in midfield for Real Madrid's Champions League win over Inter Milan on Tuesday. Having struggled to establish himself as Real's first-choice full-back since moving to the Bernabeu last summer, could this be the moment he finally clicks in the middle of the park? "He has played midfield with England and Liverpool... but he is not a midfielder," insisted Mourinho after his side's edgy 2-1 win.
"He has played very well. He has interpreted what he needed to really well, tactically. "Both him and Valverde have worked very well at this level." So while Mourinho was "very grateful" for Alexander-Arnold's efforts in the middle, don't expect to see him play there on a regular basis.
Mbappe goes joint-fifth in all-time list as Real Madrid beat Inter The former Liverpool player's inclusion in midfield was largely circumstantial, with suspensions for Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva leaving Mourinho short on options. Alexander-Arnold lined up alongside Federico Valverde but had a mixed evening, creating two chances and attempting more crosses than any other Real player - but failing to win a tackle. His passing accuracy was also down at 83.3%.
He was substituted shortly after Inter pulled one back on 77 minutes, prompting whistles around the stadium - although this could well have been frustration Madrid supporters felt at their team's performance rather than at Alexander-Arnold individually. It was the first competitive match in which Alexander-Arnold and fellow right-back Denzel Dumfries had started together. He started both for a pre-season friendly against Fiorentina, with Alexander-Arnold operating at right-back while Dumfries played further forward on the same side.
It is clear Mourinho still doesn't have a definite starting right-back, so in the same way Alexander-Arnold had to fight to start with Dani Carvajal last season, he is doing the same this season with Dumfries. But BBC Sport understands the Portuguese has been impressed by the England international's performances, values and the versatility he brings to the squad. Indeed, Mourinho views Alexander-Arnold as different from many traditional full-backs because of his ability to move into central areas and contribute to attacks from midfield positions.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
