In a scenario few could envisage even a year ago, Liverpool now seem more likely than not to lose their world-class right-back at the end of the season as Real Madrid court Trent Alexander-Arnold.
By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com
Alexander-Arnold‘s contract will expire in the summer and Real are accelerating their efforts to secure his services – which includes advances in the January transfer window.
While it seems unfeasible for Liverpool to part ways with their No. 66 mid-season, given his importance to the side and their genuine chances of winning both the Premier League and the Champions League, a departure as a free agent in July cannot be ruled out.
No matter of ‘all talk’ celebrations and his insistence than negotiations would not be played out in public can override the feeling that Real would not bid if they were not confident Alexander-Arnold wanted to join.
It is unfathomable for supporters who watched their academy graduate grow into the best in the world in his position, who himself watched Steven Gerrard train through the slats in the fences at Liverpool’s Melwood training ground with a dream to emulate him and captain the club.
But Liverpool’s new regime will now be considering the very real prospect they will head into Arne Slot‘s second season in charge without Alexander-Arnold.
An obvious solution could already be at the club, with Northern Ireland international Conor Bradley nearing No. 2 goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher‘s standard as ‘backup far too good to be a backup’.
Bradley, who will turn 22 soon after Alexander-Arnold’s current deal expires in July, has already played 40 times for Liverpool’s first team, including 24 starts, and has largely impressed.
It is not unremarkable that Bradley ended 2024 with more assists for the Reds than Alexander-Arnold himself, setting up seven goals in 32 appearances last year to his fellow right-back’s six assists in 36.
The young defender, signed from Dungannon Swifts in 2019, offers a relentless energy up and down the right flank, as a more orthodox full-back than the multitalented Alexander-Arnold, who spent much of 2024 playing in midfield owing to his creativity.
That could play into Liverpool’s hands if their plan is to enter the transfer market to replace Alexander-Arnold – even if their solution is to shift the creative onus to the left-hand side, where Andy Robertson‘s own future is in question.
With time appearing to catch up with Robertson, who has been at fault for a number of goals already this season, the club may also be identifying a successor to Alexander-Arnold’s partner-in-crime.
This would raise the prospect of bringing in a new creative hub from either right-back or left-back, or perhaps a more versatile defensive option, capable of providing steel out wide as well as shifting across as a third centre-back while Bradley pushed on.
Piero Hincapié of Bayer Leverkusen or Jorell Hato of Ajax are prime examples of the latter at left-back, with Slot familiar with the role having employed Dávid Hancko as a hybrid left-back while at Feyenoord, while Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez could adapt.
There is, however, already convincing evidence that Slot’s system is being adapted for life without Alexander-Arnold, with his unparalleled creativity more of a luxury than a fundamental, as it was under Júrgen Klopp.
While Klopp’s setup was at times entirely built around the unique threat of his right-back, Slot has changed the emphasis to the midfield, with a patient buildup involving a regular trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and one of Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones.
Of course, much can be attributed to the superhuman output of Mohamed Salah in Slot’s first half-season, but the aim is clearly to shift gears through the midfield – including a deep-dropping No. 9 – while his wingers stay high and wide.
It has proved seriously effective and has seen the burden on Liverpool’s full-backs reduce.
While in the previous five seasons Alexander-Arnold averaged 98.6 touches of the ball per 90 minutes – including a career-high 105.7 per 90 in the title-winning 2019/20 campaign – that has now dropped to just 77.7 per 90 under Slot.
Last term, he was as involved as Klopp’s regular centre-backs Virgil van Dijk (91.6), Ibrahima Konaté (92.7) and Jarell Quansah (97.3) or more, averaging 96.1 touches per 90, but now he is considerably below Van Dijk (87.6) and even Robertson (83.3) this season.
That has not impacted his influence, and in fact, last season was the only campaign in his career that he has averaged more shot-creating actions from open play than he currently is (3.04 per 90), while Alexander-Arnold is leading the squad for chances created (36), expected assists (4.8) and xA per 90 (0.33) in this season’s Premier League.
But it at least demonstrates that Liverpool now rely on him less.
It is unlikely that is on the understanding that Slot would eventually lose Alexander-Arnold, more so that the Dutchman’s system includes a more traditional full-back – which could, again, work in Bradley’s favour as a possible successor.
There would be a warm feeling of serendipity if it were to be Liverpool’s No. 84 taking over as first-choice right-back.
After all, Bradley is another boyhood supporter, who first watched the Reds at Anfield in a 4-0 win over Everton during the unforgettable 2013/14 season, before going on to join the club and experience Alexander-Arnold’s rise firsthand.
Whether that is the plan for Slot and the club’s hierarchy remains to be seen – with the priority still being to agree a new long-term contract with Alexander-Arnold himself – but it certainly shows that Liverpool would not be entirely lost without him.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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