Liverpool could sign dream Trent successor who’s ‘one of the best in the PL’

Back in 2018, Steven Gerrard praised a rising Liverpool talent named Trent Alexander-Arnold, saying he would keep getting “better and better” in Jurgen Klopp’s exciting system.

It would be a few months on that Trent started in the Champions League final, losing against Real Madrid. Two years later, he’d won Europe’s elite competition, and the Premier League too, and was comfortably ensconced at the elite table of creative players.

Gerrard wasn’t wrong. Last year, Klopp remarked that the right-back is unquestionably “world-class,” a superstar who will be a player “people talk about in 40 years.”

Alexander-Arnold has made 352 appearances for Liverpool, thriving as the Scouser in his boyhood club, his rise perfectly aligned with the sustained period of success that has gifted this city so much. He has scored 23 goals, and he has placed 92 assists.

Now, aged 26, Trent stands on the edge of his prime years, peering in at what could be his most illustrious and impressive yet. That won’t be at Liverpool, sadly, for he has announced his decision to leave when his contract expires this summer and sign for Madrid.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow; Merseyside is charged with emotion and many will be unable to accept his choice. However, it’s happening, and Liverpool need to work toward the next chapter at right-back.

Liverpool’s plans at right-back

Conor Bradley’s emergence over the past 15 months or so has been an incredible thing. Last season, he burst from the youth ranks like a leaping salmon, a boldness to his performances that left fans giddy with excitement.

The 21-year-old is more complete than his positional peer, in truth, more ‘suitable’ as a conventional full-back. Though he’s racked up ten assists from 54 senior appearances as a Red, however, he’s not got Alexander-Arnold’s eye for a pass, his innate creative flair.

That’s not to Bradley’s detriment; Trent is a one-of-a-kind player. The potentially new star on the right flank does have his own skills, with a bounding athleticism that is translated into effective attacking support and firm defensive application.

He was immense last year, with Trent actually praising the Northern Irishman for his “absolutely phenomenal” start to life as a first-team regular on Merseyside.

While his performances in the 2023/24 Premier League term highlight Bradley’s potential, he’s missed 40 games due to various injuries since the start of last season, and cannot yet be trusted to play unbreakingly in Alexander-Arnold’s stead.

Liverpool need to sign a new right-back, and though they won’t claim a transfer fee for their outgoing vice-captain, his £180k-per-week salary is a lot, and can now be applied elsewhere, perhaps toward bagging a successor.

Why Liverpool need to sign a new right-back

With Andy Robertson on the decline and Kostas Tsimikas never really proving himself capable of becoming Liverpool’s first-choice option, Alexander-Arnold’s departure won’t detract from the focus at left-back.

However, Liverpool could pounce on an exciting star to tussle with Bradley for the number one spot, and there might not be a better option on the market than Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento.

Back in March, GIVEMESPORT revealed that while Bradley will continue to be given opportunities to impress Slot, FSG are keen on adding some competition through Livramento, who played an “outstanding” role in winning the Carabao Cup at Wembley against Slot’s side in March, according to journalist Liam Kennedy.

Livramento, 22, joined Newcastle in a deal worth £40m in August 2023, leaving Southampton after previously emerging from Chelsea’s academy.

Last season, the dynamic defender’s progress was marred by injury, but he’s gone from strength to strength under Eddie Howe all the same, responding brilliantly to tactical advice and now thriving as an option across both defensive flanks.

The one-cap England international’s multi-positionality is curious. With Liverpool in need of players on both sides of Slot’s backline, Livramento could be a wonderful addition, jockeying with Bradley while also knocking on Robertson’s door.

Would it be frustrating to say that FSG could bag two for the price of one in Livramento? This might feel like very typical FSG, but it makes a lot of sense, especially since Robertson wants to stay put next year.

Journalist Zach Lowy has even gone as far as to say that the “special” Magpies man “isn’t just one of the best right backs in England, but one of the best left backs too.”

He’s creative and versatile, with a neat blend of skills that could truly see him succeed Alexander-Arnold, while playing different roles too.

His metrics certainly suggest that he has what it takes to thrive in Slot’s Liverpool set-up. As per FBref, the £50k-per-week talent ranks among the top 16% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 15% for progressive passes, the top 17% for both progressive carries and clearances and the top 2% for ball recoveries per 90.

While Liverpool simply can’t replace Alexander-Arnold with a player of a similar profile, Livramento is his own type of player and could challenge for a starting berth across both defensive flanks.

His ability on the left even means he could work in conjunction with Bradley. In any case, this is a deal Liverpool need to get done.