Trent Alexander-Arnold made his 324th appearance for Liverpool on Tuesday night as the Reds swatted aside Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 at Anfield in the Champions League. It was another scintillating performance from a side that has surprised many but underneath the joy of their start to the season is the sobering thought that some of their stalwarts could be moving on in the summer. Alexander-Arnold is one of those players who might not be at Anfield next season, a possibility that could have been laughed off a couple of years back but is now a distinct possibility.
Alexander-Arnold, 26, wants Liverpool to show more ambition and is looking at the chance to join Real Madrid next summer as an opportunity to take his career to the next level.
He wants to win the Ballon d’Or but for that, he needs to be part of a team that consistently win the league or the Champions League and the defender has not won either of those trophies since turning 22.
Liverpool are also coming to the sobering realisation that the emotional pull of representing his boyhood club for the rest of his career might not be enough to keep him at the club. The Reds remain desperate to see him sign a new deal but are aware that all bets will be off once Alexander-Arnold enters the final six months of his contract in January.
Richard Huges, the Liverpool sporting director, is still pushing to keep Alexander-Arnold but would not be doing his job if he was not simultaneously looking at players who could come in and take up the monumental task of replacing the right-back in Arne Slot’s team next season.
The Merseyside giants have already been linked with several right-backs across and here is a list of three who could end up replacing Alexander-Arnold in the Liverpool team next summer.
Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen) – the fan favourite to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold
Bayer Leverkusen did well to hold on to Frimpong last summer after he played a pivotal role in the club losing just one game all season in the 2023/24 campaign. His performances at right wing-back contributed to Leverkusen winning the league and some of the biggest clubs in Europe were interested in snapping him up. However, Xabi Alonso’s decision to stay on at Leverkusen convinced him to stay put at the German club. However, with the Leverkusen boss linked with the Real Madrid job, there is a real chance that the wing-back could move on from the club next summer. His attacking attributes would appeal to Liverpool but he has largely excelled as a wing-back and it is unclear whether he would be defensively solid enough as a right-back in a back-four. Frimpong is likely to cost somewhere around €50m if Liverpool decide to move for him.
Can you name the team Liverpool sold these players to?
Amar Dedic (Red Bull Salzburg)
Liverpool are expected to bring in a younger profile who could grow into his role in the right-back slot if they are to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold next season. Dedic, 22, is one of the players who has been linked with a move to Anfield in the summer. He has come into his own this season at Red Bull Salzburg and he has been attracting interest with his performances. The Bosnia-Herzegovinian is versatile enough to play on the left as well. His four assists this season show that Dedic can contribute in attack, which is a key trait of Alexander-Arnold’s game. Liverpool have been in contact with his representatives and are expected to continue to assess his performances this season. While Dedic is not a big name, he is exactly the kind of off-the-radar signing Liverpool were famous for when they built the title-winning team for Jurgen Klopp a few years back.
Michael Kayode (Fiorentina)
Kayode is another young right-back who has been turning heads since last season when he broke into the Fiorentina first team and surprised everyone with his assured performances. However, he has struggled a bit more this season and has largely featured in the cup games for the Italian side. He has been a bit part player in Serie A this term but Kayode is still a highly-rated prospect who has been tipped to reach the top. Fiorentina expect him to get back to form in the latter half of the season and be more prominent. Liverpool have been looking at the player and the club’s scouts have watched him in action. He would be a bit more of a left-field signing if they were to move for him in the summer transfer window.
