Liverpool should target £40m Tottenham player to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold at Anfield – opinion

After months of uncertainty, it now appears as if Trent Alexander-Arnold will leave Liverpool for Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer.

Liverpool supporters have been willing their homegrown star to sign a new deal at Anfield, however Alexander-Arnold now seems on the verge of a move to Spain where he’ll play alongside Jude Bellingham.

Alexander-Arnold will follow in Steve McManaman’s footsteps and perhaps the full-back should pay close attention to some of the former Liverpool’s man’s reflections on that famous move.

That being said, if the 26-year-old does leave, Richard Hughes and his team will need to find a swift replacement, even if Conor Bradley is bustling with talent on the sidelines.

And on evidence of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Newcastle United, Arne Slot needs to find a full-back who can somewhat replicate Alexander-Arnold’s creativity and passing on the right.

Bradley is an excellent full-back, but he’s not in the same mould.

Pedro Porro could be Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold fix

All that considered, perhaps Tottenham Hotspur full-back Pedro Porro could actually be a surprise solution for Liverpool.

As expected, it’s difficult to find a similar full-back profile to Alexander-Arnold in world football, he’s not a typical defender by any means.

READ MORE: How Arne Slot really feels about keeping Federico Chiesa at Liverpool this summer

But Porro, who arrived at Spurs for £40m back in 2023, is arguably the most creative option available to Hughes and his transfer team.

At a simplistic level, Porro is one of the only well-established full-backs around who can somewhat come near to the Liverpool man’s xG and xGA per 90.

And when diving deeper into Porro’s passing, he does come close to the progressive passing distance that Alexander-Arnold manages each game too.

Unfortunately, Porro’s attacking qualities are also accompanied by some questionable defensive decisions, but Alexander-Arnold has always been similar and Slot has built a system which covers for those weaknesses.

Three replacements for Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool

In reality, Porro would appear as an immediate downgrade on Alexander-Arnold for Liverpool, but that’s going to be the unfortunate reality of most who would come to replace the England international.

Perhaps Liverpool fans will still favour Jeremie Frimpong – a name who is often linked to the Anfield.

But the Dutchman is very different stylistically to Alexander-Arnold, meaning Slot’s plans would be heading in a different direction.

In terms of alternatives to Porro, Quentin Merlin (22) of Olympique Marseille and Anthony Caci (27) of Mainz would also be similar alternatives, albeit ones who may take longer to adapt to the Premier League.

It’s no easy situation to solve if Alexander-Arnold leaves, but Liverpool should be in a strong financial position to find the right replacement.

And if they are interested in Porro, Djed Spence’s recent emergence at Spurs might make the Spaniard more attainable.

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