Arnold: The struggle from dreaming of the Golden Ball to the start of Real Madrid s career

In the 2024/25 season, it is an open secret that Real Madrid regards Arnold as their target. As Kavajal suffered a long-term injury again and was getting older, the club urgently needed to find a replacement. Real Madrid's transfer strategy in recent years is often to wait for the contract to expire and sign players without permission. However, this time the situation is different. With the FIFA club World Cup approaching and coach Xavi Alonso desperate to include Arnold in the plan, Real Madrid paid 10 million euros to Liverpool, ending the player's contract early. Arnold, 26, spent twenty years at Liverpool, promoted from youth teams at all levels, completed his first team debut in the 2016/17 season and won all important trophies. He spoke openly about his ambition: chasing the Golden Globes, becoming the first right-back in history to win the award, and firmly believes that he has the qualities to achieve that dream.

The start was flat, but...

Arnold's Real Madrid debut was in the Club World Cup against Riyadh Crescent. He performed silently and was replaced in the 65th minute. When playing against Pachuca, the situation was similar: he started again and was replaced in the 78th minute. Facing Salzburg Red Bull, he finally played for 90 minutes and his performance improved slightly.

In the quarterfinals against Juventus, he gave his first assist after joining, assisting Gonzalo Garcia with an iconic cross and scored and played the whole game. But in the quarter-finals against Dortmund, although Real Madrid won 3-2, Arnold was almost invisible and was replaced again in the 67th minute.

Injuries made him miss the key battle with Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid eventually suffered a 0-4 defeat. That game also marked the return of Kavajal, who had been injured for several months, and he came on as a substitute in the last 20 minutes. At the end of the Club World Cup, Arnold made 5 appearances and all started, but three of them were substituted. A total of 390 minutes of playing time and an assist were left behind a series of question marks.

Of course, there are many excuses: new environment, new coaches, different tactical requirements, and the most important thing is that there is no pre-season preparation. Even the best players in the world need time to adapt. But if the Club World Cup is considered Arnold's "preseason", how can we explain his disappointing state in La Liga?

La Liga struggle

Real Madrid faced Osasuna at the Bernabeu, and the game was decided by Mbappe's penalty. Arnold started but was replaced by Carvajal in the 68th minute. His sluggish state continued, and in the second game, Arnold was placed on the bench and did not make it until the 87th minute. In the third round, he returned to the starting lineup, but he performed poorly again and was replaced in the 72nd minute.

International match day brought another blow: Tuchel excluded him from the England roster and chose Rees James to replace him. After the international match day, Real Madrid challenged Real Sociedad away. Alonso chose to rely on Kavajal's experience and allowed Arnold to stand by from the bench until the 82nd minute. So far, Arnold made four appearances in La Liga, starting two games and substituting two games, totaling 151 minutes, while Carvajal's playing time was 209 minutes. What exactly is Arnold looking forward to? No matter what the status is, can you start every game? The 26-year-old at the Dream Ballon d'Or found himself behind a 33-year-old veteran with only one leg in good shape and a quit for nearly nine months. However, don't forget who Kavajal is: one of the right-backs with six-time Champions League winners, modern football honors, and he is still trustworthy at critical moments.

Arnold's luck became cruel in the first round of the Champions League group stage. He won the starter, but was forced to leave the field after only five minutes of playing due to a collision injury, which is expected to leave him absent for about two months.

Egos factor

Arnold's ability to hold the ball is unquestionable: his passing range, control of rhythm, transfer the ball, sending long diagonal passes, and cutting into the midfield as an introvert full-back. In the offensive zone 3, he can still create opportunities and even fire artillery at a long range. His offensive talent is obvious to all. But his defensive flaws are also undeniable. Unlike Carvajal, he lacks a natural defensive intuition, a weakness that has been following him to Madrid since he played for Liverpool.

However, what is more worrying is his attitude. Sometimes, he played as if he had no need to prove anything, carrying a halo of "already one of the legends".

In Real Madrid, this doesn't work. The standards here are ruthless. So far, Arnold hasn't shown enough to match the hype or his publicly claimed ambitions. He is fighting for the starting position, and at the moment, he is at a disadvantage.

Will the Bernabeu show patience for the right back?

Real Madrid is the most demanding club in the world football world. The Bernabeu Stadium is never tolerant. Legends like Raul, Zidane and even Ronaldo have been booed by their own fans when they are declining. Why can a right-back survive? The pressure from fans and the Spanish media is huge. Every bad performance is magnified, especially with a club icon like Kavajal on the sidelines. For Arnold, there is very little fault tolerance.

As a Madridist, fans don't care about their name or reputation. Anyone wearing this jersey must give everything to the team. Arnold has not met this standard so far. The question now is simple: Will he face the challenge, or will he be completely swallowed by the Bernabeu?