Real Madrid drop Xabi Alonso bombshell as Trent Alexander-Arnold faces fresh twist after Liverpool exit

Xabi Alonso has left Real Madrid not long after the club's loss to Barcelona in the Super Copa.

Alonso had come under increasing pressure towards the end of last year and the Spanish giants announced their decision following Sunday’s Spanish Super Cup defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona in Saudi Arabia.

Alvaro Arbeloa, a former Liverpool team-mate of Alonso, has taken over as head coach. Trent Alexander-Arnold moved to Madrid from Liverpool last summer.

The 27-year-old swapped Anfield for the Spanish capital at the end of his contract this past summer for just £10million, with that fee only to allow him to play at the Club World Cup.

Madrid said in a statement: "Real Madrid CF announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his time as first team coach.

"Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madrid fans because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.

"Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire technical team for their work and dedication during this time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives."

Real, who finished runners-up in LaLiga last season, trail defending champions Barcelona by four points and lost to Hansi Flick’s side in the Spanish Super Cup for the second year running on Sunday.

Alonso’s side have also lost to both Liverpool and Manchester City in the Champions League this season, as well as Atletico Madrid and Celta Vigo in LaLiga.

It has been a challenging first seven months at Los Blancos for Alexander-Arnold with two separate injuries limiting his playing time.

He has missed the last few weeks with a muscle injury picked up during a win over Athletic Club in early December, a game in which he grabbed an assist.

Between missing periods of action through injury, the England international returned to Liverpool with Real for a Champions League encounter where his current side were beaten 1-0 by his former employers.