José Mourinho's blockbuster return as Real Madrid manager has been confirmed, but the news spells trouble for former Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who now faces fierce competition for his place. The 63-year-old Portuguese has signed a three-year deal and will begin work when the squad return for pre-season training on 13 July. Real Madrid have paid Benfica £13m (€15m) in compensation to bring Mourinho back to the Bernabéu, some 13 years after his first stint at the club ended.
Mourinho's appointment comes after Florentino Pérez was re-elected as president earlier this month, picking up 65% of the votes against challenger Enrique Riquelme. Pérez had vowed to reappoint Mourinho if he won. The move follows a torrid season at Real Madrid: Xabi Alonso was sacked in January amid player unrest, Álvaro Arbeloa stepped in as interim head coach but failed to turn around the campaign, and the team exited the Champions League to Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage while Barcelona cantered to the La Liga title. Disharmony within the squad continued, with Fede Valverde taken to hospital to have stitches after a confrontation with teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni.
“José Mourinho returns to Real Madrid on a three-year deal, threatening Trent Alexander-Arnold's place as Dumfries move looms.”
Mourinho previously led Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, winning La Liga in 2011-12, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup. His return comes after a season at Benfica where he guided them to an unbeaten Liga Portugal campaign, but only enough for third place. Benfica have agreed a deal to appoint former Fulham manager Marco Silva as his replacement on a two-year contract with an option for a third.
For Alexander-Arnold, the news is particularly unsettling. The right-back endured a turbulent debut season at Real Madrid after leaving Liverpool last summer, with injuries and inconsistent form costing him a place in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for this summer's World Cup. Now Real Madrid have activated the £17.3m release clause in Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries, with the Dutchman reportedly set to sign a four-year deal. Alexander-Arnold's contract has not been extended this summer.
Former Premier League striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, speaking to 10bet, said: "If it's Jose Mourinho, it is most likely that his chances are really big because Mourinho likes his defenders to defend first. We all know Trent's quality, but Trent's quality is going forward. So in a sense, if it is Mourinho, I think Dumfries will play quite a bit." Hasselbaink added that it is a "great luxury" for Mourinho to have two different types of right-backs, but the warning is clear: Alexander-Arnold will have to adapt or risk being sidelined.