THE BERNABéU REBORN: HOW TRENT’S RETURN UNLOCKED REAL MADRID’S MOST LETHAL ATTACKING FORM
Trent Alexander-Arnold is back! Read about his stunning assist in Real Madrid’s 4-1 win and Arbeloa's tactical plans for Benfica.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is back on the pitch, and he’s loving it. After a frustrating spell out with a muscle injury, the former Liverpool full-back finally started for Real Madrid again, his first time in the lineup since early December. You could see the difference right away.
Last weekend, he eased back in with a second-half cameo against Valencia, helping Los Blancos to a 2-0 win. But this week, he was straight into the starting eleven against Real Sociedad and wasted no time making his mark. Five minutes in, he whipped in one of those classic assists for Gonzalo Garcia, who slotted it home to open the scoring. Real Madrid didn’t stop there: Vinicius Junior netted twice, Federico Valverde added another, and they cruised to a 4-1 victory.
Alexander-Arnold came off after the hour mark, no surprise, since he’s still finding his rhythm after the injury. After the match, he jumped on Instagram, posted some photos, and simply wrote, “Good to be back,” adding a white heart emoji. Sometimes, that says it all.
It’s been a tough first season at the Bernabeu for him. Injuries have kept him from showing Madrid fans the same world-class quality Liverpool supporters saw every week. But now, with that first assist under his belt, he’ll want to prove he’s worth the hype. His manager, Alvaro Arbeloa, is pretty confident he will. After the game, Arbeloa said, “Working with Trent, you notice right away how smart he is. He reads the game, and he gets what we’re asking for. He’s not just a typical fullback hugging the touchline; he can drift inside and play centrally. That’s what we want: players who can switch things up. We’re lucky to have him.”
Next up for Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid? Benfica in the Champions League play-off. The first leg is on Tuesday night, 8 pm kickoff. The second leg follows just over a week later. With knockout football on the line, there’s plenty to play for.
THE BERNABéU FRACTURE: WHY ALVARO ARBELOA IS LOSING THE REAL MADRID LOCKER ROOM
Alvaro Arbeloa faces a Real Madrid dressing room revolt! Read about the clashes with Alaba and Guler’s shocking Arsenal ultimatum.
Reports say Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa keeps butting heads with some of the main voices in the locker room; he’s not getting along with three of his stars.
Arbeloa took over at the start of the year, stepping up from his job with Real Madrid Castilla after Xabi Alonso got the boot. Alonso lost the dressing room and ran into a losing streak he couldn’t shake, and now it’s starting to look like Arbeloa is dealing with the same sort of headaches.
The club brought in Arbeloa fast, hoping he could steady things, but honestly, it’s not clear if he’s more than just a stopgap. Real Madrid’s season hangs by a thread; they’re still alive in La Liga and the Champions League, but that’s it. Another year without a trophy feels possible.
Lately, people keep linking Madrid to big-name managers like Jurgen Klopp and Unai Emery, fuelling talk that Arbeloa might not stick around much longer.
On top of that, rumours out of Spain say Arbeloa has clashed with three team ‘leaders’. David Alaba is one of them. He’s frustrated, thinks he deserves a bigger role, and he’s not quiet about it. The same goes for Federico Valverde and Dani Carvajal. Both have reportedly bumped heads with Arbeloa over playing time and their standing in the squad. It’s not the first time this has happened; Arbeloa’s authority keeps running up against these senior guys who want more influence. Now Alaba’s in the mix too, which only makes things messier for the coach.
Then there’s Arda Güler. He’s been linked with Arsenal for a summer move and isn’t happy either. Spanish site Fichajes says Guler has basically given the club an ultimatum. He’s improved a bit under Arbeloa, but he still feels stuck on the sidelines and doesn’t like the atmosphere in the dressing room. He’s made it clear that if he doesn’t get a proper shot and some real leadership from the bench, he’s out of Madrid this summer.
DOOR SLAMMED: REAL MADRID REJECT ARSENAL AND CHELSEA'S SUMMER MOVES FOR ENDRICK
Real Madrid have blocked Arsenal, Chelsea, and Spurs from signing Endrick. Discover the 2026 plan for his Bernabéu first-team return.
Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham have all been told straight up: Endrick isn’t available this summer. Real Madrid made it clear to his camp he’s coming back to the Bernabeu and joining their first team next season, no exceptions.
Right now, Endrick is finding his feet again at Lyon. He moved to France in January, after a rocky start in Spain, and he’s been working hard to rebuild his confidence and rhythm.
Earlier in the season, things didn’t really click for him under Xabi Alonso at Madrid. He barely played in the first half of the 2025/26 campaign, so Madrid sent him to Lyon to make sure he’d get regular minutes. And honestly? It’s paying off. He’s already notched five goals and an assist in just six games, including a hat-trick against Metz. That explosive talent everyone raved about is starting to show.
Last season, under Carlo Ancelotti, Endrick scored seven times and set up another in 37 games for Madrid. It hasn’t been the smoothest year and a half for him, but clubs keep circling.
West Ham pushed harder than anyone over the past year, making several approaches, but Madrid shot them all down. Now, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham have all checked in again, trying to see if there’s any chance they can swoop in this summer.
Chelsea’s interest goes way back, even before Madrid snapped him up. Arsenal and Spurs have been keeping tabs since his Palmeiras days.
All three Premier League clubs hoped Madrid might be open to a deal after his loan stint, but that door’s slammed shut. Senior sources insist Endrick is returning to Madrid this summer, and he’s joining the first team for the 2026/27 season. His agent echoed the same thing this week, brushing off doubts about whether Endrick can make it in Spain.
So, Madrid’s stance is pretty final: no Premier League move for Endrick. England’s top clubs will have to look elsewhere while the young striker gets ready for his next chapter in Madrid.
And he’s not the only one coming back. Nico Paz, who’s been turning heads at Como, is also on Madrid’s list. Arsenal, Chelsea, and Spurs like him too, but Madrid sees both Endrick and Paz as part of their long-term plans. They’re bringing Paz back by activating his buy-back clause this summer, and they won’t even consider offers.