As Liverpool players settle into their summer breaks, there is still plenty of football being played in the elongated 2024/25 campaign.

While some supporters may have wanted to see the Reds involved in this summer’s revamped Club World Cup, many will be pleased that their team missed out on the tournament in the USA.

With potential Premier League title rivals Manchester City and Chelsea involved on the other side of the world, Liverpool fans may hope to have a little extra freshness once the new season begins in August.

Naturally, Real Madrid are also in action, and having paid Liverpool almost £10m to end his contract early, they have been able to call on Trent Alexander-Arnold in the US.

Trent Alexander-Arnold STARTS for Real Madrid as England defender makes long-awaited debut for Spanish giants in Club World Cup clash after leaving Liverpool	Trent Alexander-Arnold opens up on Real Madrid debut and reveals what Xabi Alonso told the team at half-time as Spanish giants are held by Al-Hilal at Club World Cup	Alexander-Arnold's debut analysed - and when did he really learn Spanish?

Los Blancos made their competition debut on Wednesday, with Alexander-Arnold donning the famous white strip for the first time ever.

And as plenty on Merseyside tuned in to see how the Liverpool academy graduate fared, the Spanish press have delivered a decidedly unimpressed verdict on Real’s new No.

12.

Photo by Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Real Madrid were clearly desperate to get Alexander-Arnold, or ‘Trent’ as he has since re-branded himself, in time for the Club World Cup.

And Xabi Alonso’s keenness to bring the full-back in was underlined as he handed his new man a start at the first opportunity.

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Things did not go so well for Alexander-Arnold from the off, though, with MARCA claiming the Scouser displayed some ‘defensive weakness’ early on.

Having rated his first-half display as a five out of ten, things got no better for ‘Trent’ in the second period.

Garnering a full-time rating of five, he is said to have been ‘very lacklustre’ before being taken off with 25 minutes left to play.

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Diario AS are no less enthused by Alexander-Arnold, suggesting the England international had ‘very little presence’ in the match, and also highlight ‘little talent in defence.’

Some bright spots are noted going forward, but it’s claimed that Alexander-Arnold failed to make any real impact and was mostly ‘transparent’ in attack.

Mundo Deportivo are slightly more encouraging, reporting that the 26-year-old went from ‘strength to strength’ until his legs gave up on him and he was substituted.

One of the biggest talking points for Liverpool supporters regarding Alexander-Arnold’s desertion this summer has been his decision to speak Spanish upon his unveiling at Real Madrid.

While the former No.

66 may be commended for trying to ingrain himself in the culture of the club he is joining, it did leave a sour taste for Liverpool fans, who deduced Alexander-Arnold had been preparing for his move for longer than he’d care to admit.

This was something that was put to the right-back after his debut on Wednesday.

Faced with reporters from The Daily Mail, Alexander-Arnold was asked exactly just exactly how long he’d been learning Spanish.

“A few months,” laughed the Scouser, who also gave an assessment of his debut for the Spanish giants.

“A very proud moment for me,” he said.

“Very proud, happy to make my debut, something that most if not all players dream of at some point in their life.
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