How Could Liverpool Replace Alexander-arnold?

Trent Alexander-Arnold's Liverpool departure has yet been confirmed and nan Premier League champions will already beryllium reasoning astir really they could switch him.

The 26-year-old right-back has won it each since making his debut successful 2016, including nan Premier League doubly and 1 Champions League.

Real Madrid seems nan apt destination for nan England defender, but what should Liverpool do adjacent - and who could they bring to Anfield?

Alexander-Arnold has made a sanction for himself arsenic a playmaking right-back, pinch his imaginative numbers increasing play aft season.

Under Jurgen Klopp, nan England international's talents were utilized successful a assortment of ways.

He started his profession arsenic an all-action right-back, moving successful tandem pinch Andrew Robertson, nan full-back connected nan different flank.

Then Klopp experimented pinch nan thought of Alexander-Arnold playing further up nan pitch, asking him to return connected an inverted domiciled that meant he received nan shot much often successful nan tighter spaces of midfield.

Since Arne Slot has taken complete arsenic manager, Alexander-Arnold has reverted backmost a small to his first domiciled successful nan broadside yet has remained a cardinal imaginative unit who does much than astir to manner one-against-one opportunities for Mohamed Salah.

Time and again, nan England world has proved invaluable for Liverpool, particularly successful position of playing retired from nan backmost and creating chances.

And his power has remained beardown this season, moreover pinch his domiciled adjusted nether Slot.

Alexander-Arnold has faced questions astir his defending passim his career.

But nan statistic propose he has arguably go an moreover amended defender nether Slot, averaging much tackles and interceptions per lucifer than before.

Conor Bradley has been Alexander-Arnold's understudy since making nan measurement up to nan first team. The Northern Ireland world will inevitably beryllium progressive successful nan conversations astir who now fills nan right-back spot.

Bradley has struggled to get a accordant tally successful nan starting XI - playing less than 1,200 minutes this season. It has been reliable capable for him to get crippled clip fixed he is competing pinch Alexander-Arnold for a place, but recurring injuries person besides hampered him.

But Bradley - who offers a importantly different floor plan astatine full-back than Alexander-Arnold - has ever shown immense committedness whenever he has played.

The 21-year-old has a awesome appetite for protect activity and enjoys getting into beingness duels, which dovetails pinch Slot's desire for Liverpool players to support a beardown counter-press.

Bradley's biggest spot possibly is his off-ball movement, perpetually darting pinch velocity into underlapping runs beyond his winger to supply an action to walk to, and agelong nan guidance backline.

In a mini sample of astir 750 convention minutes past season, Bradley was averaging 7.62 progressive receptions per lucifer - meaning he was receiving nan shot astatine slightest 7 times a crippled successful positions person to nan guidance goal.

Bradley whitethorn get much minutes without Alexander-Arnold to contend pinch - but his wounded grounds whitethorn unit Liverpool to participate nan transportation market.

Guela Doue (Strasbourg)

Guela Doue is 32 games into his 2nd afloat play of elder shot successful Ligue 1, but is already making plentifulness of waves astatine Strasbourg nether 40-year-old erstwhile Hull head Liam Rosenior.

After breaking done successful nan 2023-24 play astatine Rennes, Doue has demonstrated his versatility since his move to Strasbourg.

The 22-year-old Ivory Coast world - relative of Paris St-Germain winger Desire - is simply a right-back who is good tin of playing arsenic a wide centre-back successful a 3 aliases arsenic a correct wing-back.

Doue's strengths dishonesty successful his expertise to take sides successful one-against-one duels pinch strength and move nan shot upfield pinch his passes and carries. When he gets nan opportunity to explosive guardant astatine right-back, he tin show a spot of flair connected nan ball.

The versatile defender has averaged 6.7 progressive carries pinch nan shot this play successful Ligue 1, opinionated only down Diego Moreira astatine Strasbourg.

Like Alexander-Arnold, Doue likes receiving nan shot deeper successful his ain half earlier progressing nan shot further up nan transportation pinch agelong passes guardant to his winger aliases striker.

Doue would beryllium perfect for Slot's backline if they scheme to bring successful an adventurous full-back connected nan different broadside - Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez has been powerfully linked pinch a move.

Anton Gaaei (Ajax)

Nicknamed nan 'Danish Beckham' of Ajax, Anton Gaaei has progressed quickly to go nan first-choice right-back this play nether Francesco Farioli.

The 21-year-old, who joined Ajax aft 3 seasons successful nan Danish Superliga pinch Viborg, has 2 goals and 4 assists successful 23 Eredivisie appearances this term.

What instantly stands retired astir Gaaei is some nan value and assortment of his crossing.

He is capable to make a batch of powerfulness pinch his correct footwear to transverse nan shot from deeper areas aliases deed nan byline and trim backmost into nan container too. His trademark is simply a debased transverse deed diagonally to spell past defenders to link pinch on-rushing team-mates.

He did precisely that successful nan astir caller 'De Klassieker' betwixt Ajax and Feyenoord to group up nan victor precocious successful added time.

Besides his crossing ability, Gaaei continues to amended connected nan protect broadside of his game, which is helped by his fantabulous burst of gait successful search backmost arsenic good arsenic making useful off-the-ball runs beyond his winger.

Entrusted pinch taking set-pieces arsenic well, nan young Dane benefits from Ajax's ascendant style of play, which sees him make astir 5 crosses per match.

Still only successful his 2nd play successful Dutch football, recruiting Gaaei would very overmuch beryllium a task signing for Liverpool but 1 that could good salary disconnected successful nan agelong run.

Martim Fernandes (Porto)

The youngest subordinate of nan 3 - and arguably nan 1 pinch nan top imaginable - is Martim Fernandes, who has impressed galore since breaking into nan Porto first squad this season.

In 23 convention appearances, Fernandes has 5 assists to his sanction and astatine conscionable 19 years of age, is already a cardinal imaginative cog successful nan side.

He enjoys playing connected nan beforehand ft and overmuch for illustration Alexander-Arnold, he is an fantabulous crosser of nan ball, adept astatine delivering into vulnerable zones wrong nan opposition's six-yard box.

It is nary wonderment he is averaging an expected assists (xA) per lucifer fig of 0.3 successful nan Portuguese apical flight, a hugely awesome fig considering his age.

The young Portuguese provides an action connected nan flanks by playing precocious and wide up nan transportation erstwhile Porto are attacking but is besides tin of adding assortment by making darting runs for nan centre-backs to walk to, beyond nan past protect statement of nan opposition.

The Porto number 52 shows promising activity while underlapping aliases overlapping to deed nan byline to cross, and tin manoeuvre successful tight spaces to curl a transverse into nan box, overmuch arsenic Alexander-Arnold does.

In nan Liga Portugal this term, Fernandes has averaged an awesome 3.65 crosses per match.

His composure connected nan shot nether unit is awesome - and he has an fantabulous motor for nan protect broadside of nan game. Fernandes makes for an fantabulous earthy talent who could fresh nan Alexander-Arnold mould for Liverpool.

A type of this article first went unrecorded connected 18 April