Trent Alexander-Arnold's Pep Guardiola wish revealed by Manchester City insider
Newly-unveiled Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has held a long-standing desire to work under Pep Guardiola in his career, according to new claims.
The Liverpool Academy graduate brought an end to his stellar stay in English football and rise at Anfield by joining Los Blancos upon the expiry of his contract, becoming the latest English star to don the iconic Real Madrid shirt.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold has been involved in some truly epic battles with Manchester City over the years, as they and Liverpool went head-to-head for numerous Premier League titles in one of the greatest eras in the competition's history.
Such were the painful nature of City's remarkable comebacks to win the English top-flight crown that Alexander-Arnold spoke at length about the danger of giving Pep Guardiola's side an inch come the turn of the year in seasons.
'If you've ever got a chance to beat City, it's always before Christmas. Maybe they're still finding their feet in the first three, four months, then after Christmas to New Year, you can forget about beating them. Honestly, forget about it,' Alexander-Arnold said in December.
'Once it clicks around New Year, they go five months without losing, might draw one or two, but they just win and carry on winning,' he added. 'They've won four in a row, a Treble, incredibly strong with world class players, an incredible manager. Never rule them out.'
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However, having now brought an end to his battles with Manchester City at Liverpool, new information has detailed the close relationship between Pep Guardiola and the defender, and the latter's long-standing ambition of working under the Catalan at some stage in his career.
That is according to the information of Manchester City insider 'FPLMaineRoad' on X, who reveals that Real Madrid's Alexander-Arnold began learning Spanish 12 months ago and also spoke with Pep Guardiola 'about five/six years ago' about wanting to work under him one day.
While the two will no longer be going head-to-head in club football following the former Liverpool man's move to the Spanish capital, there remains an opportunity to meet as soon as this summer at the FIFA Club World Cup.
The two sides will also be involved in next season's UEFA Champions League, with the draw for the revamped group stage of the competition to take place in August as sides look to dethrone Paris Saint-Germain from their new-found summit in European football.
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