The Trent situation that keeps getting worse

It has been a difficult start to life in the Spanish capital for Trent Alexander-Arnold. The right-back made the headline-grabbing move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2025, leaving Liverpool with his contract winding down, but what looked like the beginning of a glamorous new chapter has turned into something far more complicated. Under Jose Mourinho, Alexander-Arnold has managed just five appearances this season, starting only twice in La Liga and finding himself an unused substitute on three occasions. For a player of his quality, that is a deeply uncomfortable place to be.

Madrid, seemingly unimpressed with their options at right-back despite having signed Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan on a permanent deal in the summer, are reportedly back in the market for reinforcements in that position. And the name being linked will feel particularly pointed for Liverpool supporters: Jarell Quansah.

How Liverpool could profit twice from the same player

Quansah's trajectory since leaving Liverpool has been remarkable. Sold to Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth up to £35million, the defender has become a key figure at the Bundesliga club and has broken into the England national team set-up. Sport Bild have reported that Madrid are now showing genuine interest in bringing him to the Santiago Bernabeu, potentially to displace or at least compete with Alexander-Arnold.

What makes this story so intriguing from a Liverpool perspective is the small print buried in that original Leverkusen deal. Liverpool retained a buy-back clause that would allow them to re-sign Quansah for £55million, and the Echo has reported that the defender has already agreed personal terms with the Reds should they choose to trigger it. That is a significant detail. Liverpool essentially hold a veto over where Quansah's career goes next, and if Madrid come knocking with serious intent, the Reds will have a decision to make.

What happens next is genuinely fascinating

Quansah is contracted at Leverkusen until the summer of 2030, so this is not a situation where anyone is in a rush. Madrid's interest, as things stand, is reported rather than confirmed, and interest in January does not always translate into movement. But the layers here are what make it compelling. Liverpool could conceivably use that buy-back clause to bring Quansah home, or they could allow his value to continue rising in Germany. What they are unlikely to do is simply stand back and let him walk to Madrid without a second thought.

For Alexander-Arnold, the prospect of a familiar face arriving as direct competition would add yet another uncomfortable dimension to what has already been a bruising spell abroad. Whether Quansah ends up back on Merseyside, in Madrid, or remaining in the Bundesliga, Liverpool's fingerprints will be all over the outcome either way. The Reds sold him once and kept the receipt, and right now, that receipt looks increasingly valuable.