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Photo by Guillaume SALIGOT / AFP via Getty Images
Liverpool are desperate for a new right-back in 2027 after failing to properly replace Trent Alexander-Arnold following his controversial move to Real Madrid.
The Reds signed Jeremie Frimpong and put faith in Conor Bradley to step up after Alexander-Arnold left, but a combination of poor form and injury has meant neither has been a satisfactory successor.
After reports surfaced that Frimpong is willing to leave Liverpool next year – the Reds are prepared to sell him – there looks set to be a changing of the guard. And as Andoni Iraola prepares to welcome Bradley back into the fold, Get French Football News have claimed that breakout Ligue 1 star Djibril Ouziad is catching Liverpool’s attention.
Andoni Iraola has the same number of points after 10 games as Arne Slot did last season (18). Have Liverpool improved or still not performing?
Give us your thoughts…
There are clear flaws with Liverpool but I actually think they’re ahead of schedule under Iraola. I expected a slower start
Slot's haul was higher than it should have been last season though, right? Those opening five or so games masked a lot of issues before it caught up with them. Iraola's team look to be building towards something, rather than just getting the rub of the green before a decline!
It took him a while to get going with Bournemouth too tbf. I rememebr his side came to Goodison and thy were the worst id seen in a long time, a few months later they were flying
Liverpool keeping tabs on Djibril Ouziad
Ronald Araujo has provided a temporary solution for Iraola so far this season, and it has been confirmed that Liverpool will retain faith in Bradley when he returns from the serious knee injury he sustained last January. However, it is clear that a longer-term plan needs to be put in place.
According to GFFN, that strategy could begin with Ouziad, who has become a regular starter with Le Havre despite being just 17 years old.
Le Havre may be bottom of Ligue 1, but Ouziad has been impressing, having started eight of their 10 matches so far this season.
This has reportedly caught the attention of Liverpool, who are said to have sent scouts to monitor the youngster’s performances. Aston Villa are another club named as being actively interested in Ouziad.
A right wing-back who is happy getting forward, the teenager has signed his first professional contract with Le Havre, which will run until 2030, but according to GFFN, it is already seen as being likely that Ouziad will leave next summer, when his club are likely to be relegated.
With Liverpool very much on the lookout for a young right-back to challenge Bradley, the France U18s talent is one to keep an eye on as the Ligue 1 season progresses.