Teddy Sheringham believes that Mikel Arteta could bring out the best in Trent Alexander-Arnold if Arsenal were to make a shock move for the Real Madrid star.
Alexander-Arnold made a high-profile transfer from Liverpool to Madrid last summer, with the reputation as one of the world’s best right-backs.
But the 27-year-old’s first season in Spain proved a very difficult one amid the sacking of Xabi Alonso, dressing room turmoil and injury problems that limited him to just 14 La Liga starts.
Across all competitions, he completed 90 minutes on just 10 occasions and registered five assists, a far cry from the spectacular numbers he achieved at Anfield, as Real failed to win major silverware for the second season running.
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Moreover, he failed to make England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, with Thomas Tuchel selecting Reece James, Tino Livramento and Djed Spence instead.
Even during his best years, Alexander-Arnold was never England’s first choice right-back, as while his offensive abilities were unmatched, he has never been considered as defensively sound as his peers.
But former Three Lions striker Sheringham believes that in the right system and with the right coaching that could change and has suggested north London could be the place to do it.
Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest World Cup odds, the Manchester United icon said: ‘Could we see Trent Alexander-Arnold back in the Premier League? Liverpool fans might not want him back so it does narrow down where he could go, doesn’t it.
‘He doesn’t immediately strike me as an Arsenal player, to be fair. I think they’re too strong and resilient and work as a proper back four unit but they could make it work for him.
‘Even if you have an organised back four with fantastic players, if you leave him on his own, Trent looks all over the place, but that was true of Harry Maguire when Manchester United weren’t playing well. If you did that to Tony Adams or Steve Bruce they’d have looked shocking.
‘If you put Trent in an organised, structured back four, and they work as a unit, that’s what playing in a team like Arsenal is all about.
‘If someone worked with Trent along those lines, coached him to get in the right position at the right times, then I’m sure he could improve in that position to give Arsenal that extra dimension that he brings to a team.’
Alexander-Arnold made 354 appearances for boyhood club Liverpool, recording 23 goals and 92 assists, winning two Premier League titles and the Champions League, but his transfer to Madrid sparked outrage among the Reds fanbase.
The full-back is keen to get his Los Blancos career back on track but it remains to be seen how he fares under new manager Jose Mourinho who is returning to the Bernabéu this summer.
Sheringham also expressed his disappointment that Thomas Tuchel did not pick Alexander-Arnold for the World Cup, adding: ‘England need something a bit different in certain games and he definitely gives you something different, without a doubt.
‘You can criticise Trent Alexander-Arnold for his defending but that’s his game, and he gives you something different from right-back. He’s not Gary Neville. He’s not some dependable type. He’s the player who can come up with something, come at things from another angle.
‘If you’re playing against some of the weaker teams who are all sitting back and you need to break the lock, then he would be one that could find the way through. Trent should give any team he’s in that little something extra.
‘I’d have wanted Trent to play in the earlier games of the World Cup. Set up three goals in three goals or something.
‘After that he’d be disappointed if he was all of a sudden dropped when England came up against a good team with a half decent left winger but these are the calls managers should be making. That would have been up to Tuchel.
‘You pick different personnel for different matches to win different games and that’s the beauty of having 26 men in a squad, but that’s why I would have taken Trent. No one else gives you what he can offer. It’s something different.’
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