How losing Trent Alexander-Arnold significant for Liverpool
The 2024-25 season has been a rollercoaster for Liverpool FC and their fans. They are running away with the Premier League, but have been bounced out of every competition outside of it. It is impressive that they are set to win the English top flight, but not as striking when looking at their overall performances.
They have become more reliant on their star players, particularly Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. All these players are out of contract in the summer of 2025, but the hometown kid Trent might be the biggest departure for the team. Find out more about how Trent could be the club’s biggest loss in the summer.
Almost everything goes through Trent
Even though he’s a right-back, Trent has become a crucial part of the Liverpool system. He is not the best at defending his opponents, but he is always dangerous when it comes to his offensive contributions. He arguably has the best passing range out of any player in the world of football.
Alexander-Arnold can pop up with an assist against any kind of defence because of his passing range and boldness to send the ball into dangerous areas. He and Mo Salah have combined for all kinds of goals throughout their seven-year stint as teammates.
At the same time, Trent is also a difference-maker when it comes to playing against settled defences. With a simple cross or ball over the top, Trent can unlock Liverpool’s attacking firepower, arguably the best in the world due to players like Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Darwin Núñez, and Salah.
Bradley is a good player, but not the perfect replacement
If Trent does not re-sign with Liverpool, the obvious choice to replace him at right-back is Conor Bradley. The 21-year-old North Ireland international is a talented player, but he does not possess the same qualities as the kid who grew up in Merseyside.
Bradley is more of a traditional full-back compared to Trent, which makes him a more natural fit for most systems. However, he is not a game-breaker like Trent, who can make a good pass that wins the game for LFC. Bradley is the better defender, but the ceiling is not as high when compared to Alexander-Arnold.
Trent might be headed to Real Madrid
When Real Madrid knocks on a player’s door, it would be foolish to ignore them. Los Blancos is the world’s most successful football club, and if they are intent on getting a player, they will most likely get them. Trent has been on their radar for a long while, and with the right-back running down his contract, it could be another free transfer coup for Real.
They already made the same approach with Kylian Mbappé from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, so they could get another superstar in their hands with Trent. He does not fit the usual Madrid superstar, but he is a transcendent talent who goes beyond his position as a right-back.
Liverpool have a problem on their hands
Trent is arguably the biggest loss for Liverpool in the summer, but that could change if both Virgil and Salah also run down their contracts. They have all been superb for the Reds, delivering a Premier League title in 2020 and a Champions League trophy in 2019. They are also the likely winners of the 2024-25 EPL title, which would be a great end to an era.
However, considering that Trent is only 26 and the other two are still performing at a high level, this could be disastrous for LFC. Their three building blocks are likely out of the door, but at least, they are giving them a trophy on their way out. We will never know until they re-sign, or their contracts expire, but it’s not looking good.
