Whilst things couldn’t be going better on the pitch, doubts over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future have forced Liverpool to already identify their top target to replace the right-back in 2025.
Liverpool transfer news
Eight points clear at the top of the Premier League and the only side with a 100% record in the Champions League, there’s no side in better form than Liverpool as of right now. Arne Slot had mission impossible on his hands when he was asked to replace club legend Jurgen Klopp, but the Dutchman has quickly marked his stamp on the Reds and turned them into ruthless winners that even European champions Real Madrid couldn’t escape from
Whilst Slot’s side are untouchable on the pitch, however, there’s no doubt three major issues currently rearing their heads away from the action. And those, of course, regard the contract situations of Virgil van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, who are all on course to leave as free agents as things stand.
In the case of Alexander-Arnold, the Reds should be particularly concerned amid recent links to Real Madrid, who could get a major win over Slot’s side off the pitch after being kept at arm’s length on their latest Anfield visit. If that worst-case scenario does happen, however, the Premier League leaders seemingly have a plan in place.
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According to Bild, as relayed by Caught Offside, Liverpool already have Jeremie Frimpong in mind to replace Alexander-Arnold in 2025 and have identified the Bayer Leverkusen star as their top target. A player who has already experienced Anfield on the end of a 4-0 thrashing this season, Frimpong could yet find himself on the right side of results in Merseyside.
“Powerful” Frimpong could be Alexander-Arnold throwback
Although it feels premature to be talking about a throwback version of a player who is still just 26 years old, there’s been a couple of different versions of Alexander-Arnold over the years. When he first broke into Klopp’s side, he was the ultimate attacking outlet, breaking the record for most assists by a defender in a single Premier League season not once but twice.
These days under Slot, however, he is far more preserved and far more controlled. The right-back’s assist numbers are down but his influence before the final pass is more prominent than ever before. If Slot is looking to replace the current version of Alexander-Arnold, then Frimpong may struggle to live up to expectations.
The Leverkusen full-back is more comparable to the Alexander-Arnold that we first saw in his early years under Klopp, already assisting seven goals throughout the current campaign – five more than the man he could be replacing at Anfield.
Described as “powerful” by former Celtic manager Neil Lennon, Frimpong undoubtedly has the attacking talent to replace Alexander-Arnold, but there remain doubts over whether he would suit Slot’s more controlled system in Merseyside.
