BREAKING! – Man Utd told to sign £40m ‘world-class’ ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid star in jaw-dropping move

BREAKING! – Man Utd told to sign £40m ‘world-class’ ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid star in jaw-dropping move

Ex-Manchester United star Antonio Valencia has explained why the Red Devils should consider a hugely controversial move for former Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who endured a turbulent debut season at Real Madrid.

Alexander-Arnold ran down his contract with boyhood club Liverpool before joining Madrid for just €10million (then £8.4m) ahead of last summer’s Club World Cup.

The decision enraged the Liverpool faithful, who felt Alexander-Arnold had strung the club along for months and also prioritised individual success over his roots.

Alexander-Arnold left Anfield with the dream of winning the Ballon d’Or at Madrid, but he had a tough start in the Spanish capital.

A string of poor displays saw the Englishman get dropped early on, while he also missed 21 matches across the campaign through injury.

When fit, Alexander-Arnold’s influence on Madrid increased as the season went on.

However, his eventful campaign saw him miss out on a spot at the World Cup, twice getting snubbed by England boss Thomas Tuchel.

Despite all the setbacks, Alexander-Arnold remains one of the best right-backs in the world, with a skillset not many other players can match. Indeed, former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has repeatedly called him a ‘world-class player’.

Valencia thinks Man Utd should open talks for the 27-year-old, even though he has strong connections with one of their biggest rivals.

“Trent is a player I like a lot,” Valencia said (via Metro). “He has a very good right foot, he crosses well, and he is a player who defends well.

“He would be very good for Manchester United. He knows the Premier League. He knows what it means to win the Champions League and the Premier League.

“He is a passionate player, and I would like to see him at Manchester United.

“Hopefully it could happen, because we need players like that at Old Trafford. To play at that stadium, you need people with a lot of personality.

“Manchester always have to renew the squad, and this is a team that we hope can have a good Premier League season and win it.

“But in terms of a right-back… I just hope that whoever comes in can be the best possible option. And I hope [Diogo] Dalot does not leave, of course.”

It will be interesting to see how returning Madrid boss Mourinho deals with Alexander-Arnold. The full-back is exceptional in attacking areas and has superb vision, but he can sometimes be caught out when defending.

Even if Mourinho opts to place Alexander-Arnold on the transfer market, it would be a huge shock to see United enter talks with him.

Meanwhile, United’s pursuit of Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has received a double boost.