Depending on how you slice it, Conor Bradley’s emphatic rise could be making contract talks with Trent Alexander-Arnold easier or harder for Liverpool.
By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com
It is a luxury position for Arne Slot but, like with his goalkeeping situation and a number of others throughout the squad, one he knows may not last beyond the current campaign.
“You always have to be prepared for all the new things coming up,” Slot admitted as the winter transfer window closed and the visit of Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-finals loomed.
“The players that don’t play a big part at the moment, will they be able to do this another year? Will they fight for their place or will they go somewhere else? So we have to be prepared for the next window and what we can do.
“Of course we have some contractual situations that you don’t probably don’t know about! But Trent, Mo and Virgil haven’t extended yet. So we are aware of the fact that we have to be sharp and ready for things that can happen.”
Much has been made of Slot walking into a squad built for success and it has undoubtedly smoothed his transition to life at the top, even though the Dutchman deserves all the credit for leading them to the top of the Premier League, into the Champions League last 16 and now the Carabao Cup final.

But there is a sense that the summer ahead could already be a defining one for what he himself describes as Liverpool’s “new regime,” and that could come with decisions on those beyond the trio of Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.
Keeping those three players will be of paramount importance to Liverpool, but any developments in talks over new contracts will have ramifications on those around them in the squad.
Just as Giorgi Mamardashvili‘s imminent arrival from Valencia is expected to prompt a departure for Caoimhin Kelleher, the future of Alexander-Arnold appears tied to that of his esteemed backup.
Conor Bradley, the 21-year-old Northern Ireland international, made his 19th appearance of the campaign in Thursday’s 4-0 victory over Tottenham and in doing so gave onlookers further evidence that he can step into the breach if Alexander-Arnold does join Real Madrid in the summer.
His performance up against Heung-min Son was another marked by full-blooded energy and the desire to get forward and contribute in attack.

One perfectly timed slide tackle on an off-colour Son did the rounds on social media and in supporters’ WhatsApp groups, and equally impressive was his run from outside-to-in to meet Alexis Mac Allister‘s pass and, without breaking his stride, provide the touch for Dominik Szoboszlai to make it 3-0 on the night.
That was only his second assist of the campaign but there was a similar assured weight of pass to his first in the 2-0 victory over Real Madrid earlier in the season.
For many Bradley’s night vying with Kylian Mbappé – headlined by a recovery challenge on the French forward which geared Anfield into life – was proof that he can move up to be Liverpool’s next first-choice right-back, and his ability to step into the regular starting side with no fuss shows a replacement can come from within.

And that will only complicate Liverpool’s talks with their No. 66, perhaps knowing that, despite his status as a generational player, Alexander-Arnold is not exactly untouchable when it comes to his place in the side.
“I think it’s fair to say that, for many positions, we have two very good players,” was Slot’s assessment on his competition for places after the victory over Tottenham.
“So that’s for the right full-back position, for the left full-back position; we’ve got more than two good centre-backs and I can go on through the whole team telling you this.
“It’s also normal, if you work at a club of this magnitude and want to compete for every trophy, that you have more than 11 good players. The right full-back position is definitely an example of that.”
While Alexander-Arnold will know his value, his hand may be weakened by Liverpool’s faith in Bradley – and while keeping both players would be preferable, it could be that this summer brings a sliding doors moment for the pair.
If Liverpool are successful in agreeing new terms with Alexander-Arnold – which, as it stands, appears less likely than either Salah or Van Dijk – it stands to reason that, turning 22 in July and with nearly 50 games for the club under his belt, Bradley could push for the exit.
But if Alexander-Arnold prices Liverpool out knowing Real Madrid are willing to add him to their new generation of Galacticos, the club will know they have a readymade solution already in the squad.
As fans grow impatient with the lack of progress in talks with three of the club’s best-ever players, this serves as another example of the subplots that colour negotiations between Liverpool and their representatives.
Even with the respect all parties share, it remains a game of poker with many, many variables in play.
Slot has maintained that his desire would be to keep all three including Alexander-Arnold, who despite mounting concerns over his frequent muscle injuries has clocked the fifth-most minutes of any Liverpool player this season.
But the head coach will surely have a quiet confidence that, while any failure to extend Salah or Van Dijk’s stay will surely force Liverpool to the transfer market, there would be no such scrabble when it comes to the right-back spot.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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