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Recent reports have claimed Trent Alexander-Arnold is close to agreeing terms with Real Madrid.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has commanded the bulk of media attention this week as his links with Real Madrid continue to burn bright.
After months of speculation, it was reported earlier this week that the Liverpool vice-captain is edging closer to confirming his summer departure, which will end an iconic era at Anfield. BBC Sport have reported that Real Madrid are eager to tie up a deal with Alexander-Arnold before the start of next season, and negotiations are reaching the ‘closing stages’.
While nothing has been confirmed yet, the rumours have been doing the rounds for some time now and the majority of fans have been expecting Alexander-Arnold to announce his decision to leave. For many, his exit has been inevitable and this week has has felt like the beginning of the end. While no deal has been fully agreed yet, plenty of Liverpool fans are already preparing for the 2025/26 season without Alexander-Arnold.
Who will replace Trent Alexander-Arnold?
The possible exit of Alexander-Arnold will mark the end of a significant chapter at Liverpool. The 26-year-old has never played for another club in his career so far and despite the anger coming from a number of fans online, his absence will be felt.
Fortunately, Liverpool have Conor Bradley waiting to throw his hat into the ring as the new first choice right-back at Anfield. The Northern Ireland international has impressed when stepping up in the absence of Alexander-Arnold, and many have backed him as the natural replacement for Liverpool’s No.66.
The Reds are still on the market for a new right-back, though. Whether a new arrival will deputise Bradley or become the first choice remains to be seen but we wanted to take a look at the ideal player to replace Alexander-Arnold. We asked an AI chatbot of our choice to name the ‘perfect’ replacement for Alexander-Arnold, and its reply was interesting and rather reasonable.
Bradley was named as an in-house option, mentioning his promising performances in red so far. The chatbot said: “Bradley has shown promise, with 22 appearances this season despite injury setbacks, and offers a more defensively solid profile than Alexander-Arnold. While he lacks Trent’s elite creativity - his passing and crossing don’t yet rival the vice-captain’s - his energy and versatility make him a natural successor.”
Liverpool’s interest in Jeremie Frimpong
Jeremie Frimpong came up as the first and ideal choice selected from the pool of external candidates. Liverpool have been linked with the Bayer Leverkusen star for some time now and recent reports suggest a move could be on the cards.
The chatbot mentioned Frimpong’s ‘blistering pace’ and ‘proven track record in the final third’. Last season, the Dutch international contributed 14 goals and 10 assists in all competitions for Leverkusen. He has notched four goals and 11 assists so far this time round.
“His progressive carries align with Alexander-Arnold’s ability to push play forward, though his passing range doesn’t match Trent’s pinpoint accuracy,” it said. “Frimpong thrives in a wing-back role under Xabi Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 system, which could requite adaptation to Slot’s more structured 4-2-3-1 setup, where full-backs often stay deeper during build-up.”
In its summary, the chatbot acknowledged the ‘perfect’ Alexander-Arnold replacement depends on Slot’s vision. Both Frimpong and Bradley were mentioned as solid choices for different reasons, with the latter helping Liverpool cut costs in the right-back position if they are also required to replace Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
“Frimpong edges it for now due to his proven quality at a high level, but Bradley’s readiness offers a compelling internal solution,” it concluded. “No one player fully mirrors Trent’s unicorn-like blend of skills, so Liverpool may need to adapt their approach rather than directly replicate him.”
In other news,Liverpool have been given green light to sign Milos Kerkez - on one condition