Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure from Liverpool has left the Premier League champions searching for a suitable replacement.

The 26-year-old right-back has been an integral part of the team since making his debut in 2016, winning numerous titles including the Premier League twice and the Champions League.

What Liverpool is losing

Alexander-Arnold’s departure will be felt deeply, as he has been a playmaking right-back who has grown in creative numbers season after season. Under Jurgen Klopp, he was used in various ways, starting as an all-action right-back and later taking on an inverted role that saw him receive the ball more often in midfield. Since Arne Slot took over as manager, Alexander-Arnold has reverted to his initial role, but has remained a key creative force who does more than most to fashion one-against-one opportunities for Mohamed Salah.

Conor Bradley: A possible replacement

Conor Bradley, the Northern Ireland international, has been Alexander-Arnold’s understudy since making the step up to the first team. The 21-year-old has struggled to get a consistent run in the starting XI due to injuries and competition from Alexander-Arnold. However, Bradley has always shown huge promise whenever he has played, offering a significantly different profile at full-back than Alexander-Arnold. He has a great appetite for defensive work, enjoys getting into physical duels, and has excellent off-ball movement, constantly darting into underlapping runs beyond his winger to provide an option to pass to.

Other potential replacements

Depending on how Slot chooses to configure the full-back roles this summer, Liverpool may consider the following players:

Guela Doue (Strasbourg)

Guela Doue is a 22-year-old Ivory Coast international who has demonstrated his versatility since joining Strasbourg. He is a right-back who can play as a wide centre-back in a three or as a right wing-back. Doue’s strengths lie in his ability to defend in one-against-one duels with intensity and move the ball upfield with his passes and carries. He has averaged 6.7 progressive carries with the ball this season in Ligue 1, making him an ideal candidate for Slot’s backline.

Anton Gaaei (Ajax)

Anton Gaaei, nicknamed the ‘Danish Beckham’ of Ajax, has progressed quickly to become the first-choice right-back this season under Francesco Farioli. The 21-year-old has two goals and four assists in 23 Eredivisie appearances this term. What immediately stands out about Gaaei is both the quality and variety of his crossing. He is able to generate a lot of power with his right boot to cross the ball from deeper areas or hit the byline and cut back into the box. Gaaei’s crossing ability makes him a standout full-back, and recruiting him would be a project signing for Liverpool that could pay off in the long run.

Martim Fernandes (Porto)

Martim Fernandes, the youngest player of the three, has impressed many since breaking into the Porto first team this season. In 23 league appearances, Fernandes has five assists to his name and at just 19 years of age, is already a key creative cog in the side. He enjoys playing on the front foot and is an excellent crosser of the ball, adept at delivering into dangerous zones inside the opposition’s six-yard box. Fernandes provides an option on the flanks by playing high and wide up the pitch when Porto are attacking, and is also capable of adding variety by making darting runs for the centre-backs to pass to, beyond the last defensive line of the opposition.