Alan Shearer has weighed in on Liverpool’s right-back situation, suggesting the Reds “have to buy another right-back anyway” to provide competition for Conor Bradley.
Shearer’s comments come amid the buzz surrounding Jeremie Frimpong’s potential move. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s announcement last week that he will be leaving his boyhood club as a free agent at the end of his contract this summer has certainly left a gap in the squad.
With Alexander-Arnold’s exit confirmed, there’s an open slot in the starting XI for the right-back position come next season. Bradley, 21, is the leading internal candidate to take over from Alexander-Arnold, having joined Liverpool in 2019 and making a strong impression in his 27 outings this term, including a standout performance in the 2-0 Champions League win against Real Madrid.
Despite Bradley’s promise, Liverpool is believed to be eyeing Bayer Leverkusen’s Dutch wing-back Frimpong, who has been turning heads under Xabi Alonso’s tutelage. According to German publication Kicker, negotiations are progressing for the 24-year-old.
The question of whether the Reds should back Bradley as their primary right-back or splash out on a talent like Frimpong was posed by Gary Lineker during ‘The Rest Is Football’ podcast earlier this week.
Shearer has voiced his strong opinion that Liverpool are in need of a right-back to bolster their squad depth, and his sentiments were echoed by Lineker and Micah Richards as they distinguished between the types of signings Liverpool could make. With particular focus on former Manchester City academy talent Frimpong, the trio weighed in on the necessity for the Reds to strengthen their defensive options.
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Lineker said: “You need two players that can play in that position. Everyone has pretty much two players in every position now so I guess they will have to make a signing.
“It depends, I suppose, on whether they think they need a back-up right-back or do they not see anything in Conor Bradley. I think Bradley’s really impressive.”
Following suit, Shearer contributed: “That doesn’t surprise me, but it doesn’t mean Bradley won’t have a bright future because he will, I think. He’s impressed me.
“But whether he’s ready to go in full-time, maybe not. So that’s why they’ll get another one in. But you’re right, they have to get another one in anyway.”
Bradley’s inconsistent season plagued by a persistent hamstring injury and lack of complete matches raises concerns about the Merseyside club’s alternatives at right-back, especially considering the absence of a specialized substitute should Bradley’s injury woes spill into the next campaign.
Richards, who once vied with Pablo Zabaleta for the right-back spot at City, shared his thoughts: “It’s a tough one because when another right-back comes in, it can help you by helping you raise your game, or it can hinder you because you can lose your confidence a little bit.
“Another right-back would help, but if Frimpong comes in, he’s No. 1, which could be difficult for Bradley to deal with. I think Bradley is very good. He’s good going forward, he’s intelligent with his runs, and he can do the one-on-one defending as well.
“The only question mark is whether he could do it on a consistent basis. When he came into the team in place of Trent, the mindset of a sub is different to a starter.”
