Five potential replacements for Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool | OneFootball

Trent Alexander-Arnold could be on his way out of Liverpool.

According to reports, Alexander-Arnold is close to agreeing a move to Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer, with his Liverpool contract up. The news hasn’t gone down well in the Liverpool sphere, with negative opinions across all levels, from fans to Jamie Carragher.

Should the move go through, Liverpool minds will need to quickly focus on how to replace Alexander-Arnold. Of course, the question is: how do you replace Alexander-Arnold?

It won’t be easy and a shortlist will no doubt already been made. But we’ve taken a look at some potential names to replace Alexander-Arnold, based on reports, opinions and our own Squawka Score.

Conor Bradley

This is the most obvious and easiest replacement for Liverpool, to look within. Conor Bradley has replaced Alexander-Arnold at times of injury anyway, and performed well. It was Bradley who expertly helped to keep Kylian Mbappe quiet in Liverpool’s Champions League win over Real Madrid earlier in the season.

Hampered by an injury of his own, Bradley has played 22 games across all competitions this season, amassing just over 1,000 minutes. In that time, Bradley has provided two assists at an average of 0.18 per 90 minutes. Those have come from 0.72 chances created per 90, 0.27 of which have been classed as big chances.

While those numbers don’t really reach the heights of Alexander-Arnold’s, there is context to be considered. Bradley has only started nine of his 22 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions, with just two of those coming in the Premier League. He has been the one to replace Alexander-Arnold as the game goes on. So he doesn’t often get too much time to influence games.

But Bradley does get closer when it comes to the defensive side of his game. The Northern Ireland international has averaged 2.61 tackles per 90 across all competitions, with 0.9 interceptions. He has also lost just 1.89 challenges per 90, lower than Alexander-Arnold’s 2.16 per 90. And his clearances completed of 2.07 per 90 clears Alexander-Arnold’s 1.54. Liverpool have a defensively solid replacement on their cards, and Alexander-Arnold’s creativity and passing could be covered elsewhere.

Jeremie Frimpong

Jeremie Frimpong was one of the first names on everybody’s lips to replace Alexander-Arnold after the Real Madrid reports first broke. The Dutchman is one of the top right wing-backs in Europe at the moment, thriving under Xabi Alonso — even if he hasn’t quite hit the levels of 2023-24.

Frimpong has averaged 0.27 assists per 90 in the Bundesliga and Champions League this season, with 12 goal involvements in total (breaking down into four goals and eight assists). The Bayer Leverkusen wing-back is a major threat on the opposition box, averaging 0.64 shots on target per 90 with 44.19% shooting accuracy.

Now, he is slightly less creative than Alexander-Arnold despite having more assists. Frimpong averages 1.38 chances created per 90 to Alexander-Arnold’s 1.85, with only 0.27 of those being big chances to Alexander-Arnold’s 0.47.

The defensive numbers also pale in comparison, but that’s partly because Frimpong has less defending to do than Alexander-Arnold, as a wing-back vs a full-back. Frimpong’s defensive responsibilities are shared by a right-sided centre-back in a back three. But he has still lost just 0.71 challenges per 90, with 1.21 tackles made.

Achraf Hakimi

Achraf Hakimi may be high up on the list of public enemies among Liverpool fans, after his taunts as Paris Saint-Germain knocked the Reds out of the Champions League at Anfield. But he’s the best right-back in Europe’s top seven leagues this season per our Squawka Score.

Across Ligue 1 and the Champions League, Hakimi has been directly involved in 16 goals, scoring five with 11 assists. Those assists have come at an average of 0.35 per 90, from 0.25 Expected Assists — that’s 0.01 better xA per 90 than Alexander-Arnold’s 0.24. All 0.25 of Hakimi’s xA per 90 has come from open play too, not that taking set pieces is a negative thing.

Hakimi averages 2.45 chances created per 90, more than Alexander-Arnold, with 0.54 being big chances. That’s also higher than Alexander-Arnold, though the Liverpool man has a higher percentage of his chances being big chances. Defensively, Hakimi averages 2.2 tackles per 90, which is still less than Alexander-Arnold, but a lot closer. The Moroccan has also made 1.27 interceptions per 90, trailing Alexander-Arnold by just 0.02.

As part of a dominating team, Hakimi has well-performing passing metrics. He averages 71.6 passes completed per 90 in the league and Champions League this season, with 27.63 of those being final third passes. Hakimi also has a passing accuracy of 89.78%. He could help Liverpool continue to control the play. Although there may be something of a sideways move in terms of quality, while also potentially hampering any younger products.

Givairo Read

Arne Slot could also look to his old club for a potential replacement, and a long-term one at that. Givairo Read made his Feyenoord first-team debut under Arne Slot, playing 12 minutes in the Europa League last season as a 17-year-old. He’s come along a lot more this season, playing 24 times across all competitions — including 20 appearances in the Eredivisie and Champions League. And he’s the second-best right-back on the Squawka Score under the age of 25.

Across the Eredivisie and Champions League this season, Read has provided six assists at an average of 0.38 per 90. These have come from 1.33 chances created per 90, 0.38 of which have been big chances. While Read trails Alexander-Arnold in chance creation per 90, his assists numbers are better. It’s worth noting that five of those assists came in Read’s final three games before the international break. He set up both goals in a 2-1 win over Almere City before recording a hat-trick of assists as Feyenoord beat FC Twente 2-6. Read became the youngest player in the 21st century to provide a hat-trick of assists in a single Eredivisie game.

Defensively, Read has been a busy boy. He’s averaged 3.5 tackles per 90, losing just 0.7 challenges, with a ground duel success rate of 66.27% placing him in the 95th percentile and above among full-backs. Read has also completed 1.78 clearances per 90 and won possession 1.78 times in the middle third per 90, performing better than Alexander-Arnold in both metrics.

Of course, Read wouldn’t be an immediate replacement, rather someone to grow into the role — perhaps complementing and competing with Bradley to get the best out of each other were Liverpool to target the teenager.

Martim Fernandes

Our last right-back selection is another teenager, 19-year-old Martim Fernandes. The Porto full-back has seen his name thrown into the Liverpool hat recently, tipped as another project replacement for the long term.

Fernandes has played 23 times for Porto in the Primeira Liga and Europa League, starting 17 of those. He would have more appearances too, if not for recent injury issues. The 19-year-old has provided five assists across those 23 games, at an average of 0.31 per 90, from 1.75 chances created. Again, that’s below Alexander-Arnold but it’s close. And an impressive 0.81 of Fernandes’ chances created have been counted as big chances — that’s 46.43%!

The chances created translates to Fernandes’ xA too, at 0.29 per 90, all from open play. That’s 0.05 more per 90 than Alexander-Arnold. Fernandes also ranks better than Alexander-Arnold for through balls attempted and completed at 0.38 and 0.31 per 90. Alexander-Arnold has averaged 0.35 through balls attempted per 90 across all competitions this season, completing 0.31. But his final third passes and passes in general are low.

Fernandes isn’t as involved defensively as Alexander-Arnold either, with 1.75 tackles and 0.75 interceptions per 90. But he’s been touted as a cheaper Alexander-Arnold replacement that could be a shrewd bit of business by Liverpool, particularly due to his age.

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