For the first time in a decade, Liverpool are thinking about signing a senior right-back as Trent Alexander-Arnold gets ready to leave. Arne Slot, Liverpool’s head coach, is seen here during a training session at AXA Training Centre on April 09, 2025 (Image: Nikki Dyer – LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images).
It’s a big deal that Liverpool is actually considering bringing in a veteran right-back after ten years without one. Trent Alexander-Arnold has been such a key player that they haven’t had to worry about that position since they got Nathaniel Clyne from Southampton in 2015. But now that Alexander-Arnold is leaving, they might have to change their strategy.
Calvin Ramsay was signed from Aberdeen in 2022 to prepare for the future, and players like James Milner and Joe Gomez have filled in when Alexander-Arnold couldn’t play. Conor Bradley’s rise also means they might not need a new starter, but with Alexander-Arnold’s exit confirmed, they have to think about it.
Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen is a possible target, with a £30m release clause in his contract. Arne Slot could ask other Dutch players like Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk about Frimpong if he needs more information. Vanderson from Monaco is another option, valued at under £30m. Alan Shearer thinks Denzel Dumfries from Inter would be a good replacement for Alexander-Arnold.
As Liverpool prepares to lose a player with over 350 Premier League appearances, the rumors about who will take Alexander-Arnold’s place are only going to get louder. But Arne Slot is focusing on his current players, especially Conor Bradley, who will get a chance to show what he can do in the last three games of the season.
“I think you will not be surprised if I say everyone gets a programme over the summer, [but] Conor has such an intense playing style,” Slot says. “They all run a lot. But Conor (laughing) is in his own league when it comes to running a lot. Comparable maybe with Achraf Hakimi at PSG, he is everywhere during the game. But Hakimi is 26 I think. He is much more used to doing this every single week.”
“He needs time, Conor, and a good programme to keep him fit. He is not the only one who has not been a regular starter who has had some injuries this season, look at Diogo Jota and Harvey Elliott.”
Gomez, who has been at Liverpool for ten years, could also be an option. He hasn’t played in the Premier League since December because of a hamstring injury. Slot is not sure if Gomez will be able to play again this season, but he is getting closer to returning to training.
“He is becoming closer and closer [to returning]. He is joining training sessions at the moment, he has been out for a long time. The last part of rehab is the hardest. I cannot guarantee it but he is getting closer and closer.”
