Klopp’s old warning haunts Alexander-Arnold’s Madrid start

December 4, 2025 Oliver Obel

Alexander-Arnold arrived in Madrid expected to compete immediately, but the early weeks have been difficult. Dani Carvajal remains the preferred option at right-back, while Federico Valverde continues to serve as a reliable defensive stopgap. As a result, the former Liverpool vice-captain has found himself shuffled between starting roles and late cameos, still searching for rhythm.

Through his first 15 appearances, he has produced two assists and no goals. For a player who built his reputation on Liverpool’s right flank as a high-volume creator, the shift has been stark. According to GIVEMESPORT’s statistical records, Alexander-Arnold left Anfield with 354 games, 23 goals, 93 assists and 95 clean sheets numbers that made him central to how Klopp’s side attacked.

Madrid’s system asks something very different. Full-backs defend narrower, deliver fewer early crosses, and operate within a structure shaped by the movements of Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé. One Spanish analyst on Cadena SER recently noted that Alexander-Arnold “has gone from conductor to accompanist,” a transition some players take years to adjust to.

Klopp’s old message, revisited

The situation has inevitably drawn comparisons to Philippe Coutinho’s departure from Liverpool in 2018. When the Brazilian pushed for his move, Klopp reportedly urged him to consider the cost of trading status for status quo. As first reported by talkSPORT, Klopp told him:

“Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid, and you will be just another player. Here you can be something more.”

Coutinho’s £142 million transfer to Barcelona was meant to shape the club’s post-Messi era. Instead, the years that followed loan spells, shifting managers, tactical mismatches left him without a clear footballing identity. Some around Liverpool have long viewed his story as proof that a player’s visibility can shrink the moment they leave a system built to maximise them.

Similarities, but not a perfect comparison

To be fair to Alexander-Arnold, his situation isn’t identical. Unlike Coutinho, he didn’t leave Anfield at the peak of his influence or amid tension. Some within Liverpool’s orbit argued he needed a new challenge after years of reinvention under Klopp. Others especially former teammates believe he will adapt once he fully understands Madrid’s demands.

Even in Spain, opinion is divided. A Madrid staff member, speaking anonymously to AS, suggested the club believes Alexander-Arnold “will come good once the tactical habits become second nature.” A former player, however, told COPE that the Englishman “has to defend at a level the Bernabéu crowd expects and that takes time.”

In other words: not everyone sees this as a downfall. Some view it as a slow burn.

Does Klopp’s warning still apply?

Still, the parallels are hard to ignore. At Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold was the heartbeat of the team’s build-up play; at Madrid, he is one of many high-profile talents trying to carve out influence in a side already shaped by Mbappé, Vinícius, and Jude Bellingham.

The result is a familiar question one Klopp posed years ago without knowing it would echo again:

What happens to a player when he leaves an environment designed around him and steps into one where everyone is a star?

What comes next

Alexander-Arnold has time on his side, and Madrid have never been shy about giving elite players room to evolve. A strong run of performances, a shift in tactical emphasis, or even a well-timed moment in a high-stakes match could change the narrative quickly. It has happened before in this club’s history.

But until that moment comes, Klopp’s old cautionary line hangs in the background not as a prophecy, but as a reminder that at football’s biggest institutions, talent alone doesn’t guarantee prominence.

Sources: talkSPORT, GIVEMESPORT, AS, Cadena SER, COPE