While Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk appear likely to be staying at Liverpool beyond the end of the season, Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to join Real Madrid.
Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes, as a result, have a difficult task ahead: replacing someone so unique he is irreplaceable directly. Liverpool has plenty to do in the summer but adding a right-back, in the case of Alexander-Arnold leaving, would need to be a priority.
In the last couple of games, Liverpool has been without Alexander-Arnold through injury. And it is likely no coincidence that Salah has gone off the boil and creativity has not been as easily found.
“I think the creativity that he brings and the knack of drawing out defenders and midfielders to give Salah that space, we are seeing that now [while he is out injured],” former Reds winger Jermaine Pennant tells Liverpool.com.
“Especially with his balls into the box, his vision, his passing ability… we are kind of struggling on that front. Saying that, when Conor Bradley came on [against Fulham], he was getting forward and making runs into the box and they looked more dangerous.
“He’s still got that knack to want to get forward. They will miss Trent but they do need to get a player, left-back or right-back — or both in my eyes. Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen looks like a talent and he could be a player to maybe come in.”
(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Whoever it is, though, will be a very different player to Alexander-Arnold. Quite simply, there is no one who plays the position like him.
“Trent is irreplaceable in what he gives going forward,” Pennant continued. “His vision, his crossing, his set-pieces… I don’t think there is anyone out there who can do that going forward.
“But defensively, there are definitely better right-backs. I think there are right-backs out there who can give some of what Trent can offer going forward — pace and vision — but the passing ability, I don’t think there is anyone out there.”
Curtis Jones has been tried in the role in the last few weeks with Bradley out injured and Jarell Quansah offering much less on the ball. But that experiment was never likely to last long.
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“You’re not taught the way that right-backs come in and look over your shoulder,” Pennant, who was speaking on behalf of Golden Panda, explained. “As a winger, you are not taught that and you don’t focus on players running off your shoulder or the way your body is positioned with your back to goal.
“It’s going to be new to Curtis. Yes, we can do it because we are professionals but that is not our go-to. Jones’ body shape when the crosses were coming in against Fulham, going off your knee — a defender would clear that in a different way. You see the little mishaps when you put a midfielder out of position.”
It won’t be Jones who is the long term solution, but someone with that kind of ability on the ball will be required — not least to continue getting the best out of Salah. There are not many options, leaving Liverpool with a tricky dilemma.
