Liverpool will need a new vice-captain if Trent Alexander-Arnold leaves the club - but he might not be the only member of the Reds leadership group to move on
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Virgil van Dijk and Arne Slot of Liverpool, line up with their mascots prior to the Carabao Cup Final between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium
Virgil van Dijk and Arne Slot of Liverpool, line up with their mascots prior to the Carabao Cup Final between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium
(Image: 2025 Liverpool FC)
Trent Alexander-Arnold was meant to be the next Liverpool captain. Throughout his career, the boyhood Reds fan made no secret of his desire to lead the club one day.
He took a giant step closer towards achieving that goal in the summer of 2023 when Jurgen Klopp appointed him as Liverpool’s new vice-captain.
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“I’ve never been shy of saying what my ambitions are – it’s always been to captain this club,” he admitted following his appointment.“This is a pathway and a stepping stone to that. It’s a role and responsibility I’m really looking forward to and I can’t wait to get the season started.”
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Yet it looks like Alexander-Arnold will last just two years in the role and miss out on fulfilling that ambition as a result. Real Madrid are seemingly closing in on signing the defender on a free transferthis summer when his Reds contract expires.
Losing the defender would be a bitter blow for Liverpool and leave holes in their ranks that need to be filled, both in terms of on the pitch and in their leadership ranks.
But with Arne Slot perhaps in need of a new vice-captain, he faces a big dilemma with it becoming clear that Alexander-Arnold is not the only member of the Reds’ leadership group at risk of moving on.
Virgil van Dijk was named Liverpool captain the same summer as Alexander-Arnold was appointed vice. The two were promoted following the departures of Jordan Henderson and James Milner.
Previously, the Dutchman had been third-choice in Klopp’s captaincy pecking order. Gini Wijnaldum was fourth in line, but after his departure in the summer of 2021, Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Alisson Becker were all added to the group - influenced by serious injury ruling out a number of senior players in 2020/21.
And then following the exits of Henderson and Milner, Mohamed Salah became the latest member of Liverpool’s leadership group, with Alexander-Arnold promoted to vice-captain at the same time as a mark of passing on the baton to preserve the future.
But now all five members of the group have question marks against their Reds futures.
Like Alexander-Arnold, both Van Dijk and Salah are out of contract this summer. Robertson’s own deal expires in 2026, with it well-documented that the Reds will look to sign a new left-back when the transfer window re-opens.
And while Alisson is contracted until 2027, Liverpool have already agreed a £29m deal with Valencia to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili. The Georgia international will link up with the Reds this summer, and has made no secret of his desire to become their new number one.
While it would be a surprise if all five members of the group left Anfield this summer, an exit for at least one now looks inevitable.
Given a new left-back could limit Robertson’s game-time, Alisson or Salah are perhaps best-placed to be promoted to vice-captain behind Van Dijk. But if the Dutchman and/or Egyptian also leave at the end of their contracts, it opens up another vacancy entirely.
When Van Dijk was appointed Liverpool captain, Alexander-Arnold was already earmarked as the long-term successor. But now, less than two years later, the Reds are at risk of finding themselves in a position where they need new players in both roles once again.
It wasn’t ideal when undergoing such a change in 2023 when there were still a number of alternative candidates despite losing two long-serving leaders, but it is even more of an unenviable situation now.
It is perfectly feasible that the current leadership group could be wiped out with all five members having left the club within two years, with Liverpool then needing new leaders to step from within their squad as a result.
Curtis Jones and Joe Gomez are the only two other players within Slot’s ranks to have officially captained Liverpool before, while Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai are captains of their respective countries.
Ibrahima Konate, Luis Diaz and Conor Bradley all have limited experience captaining their nations too, while Alisson previously hinted that Alexis Mac Allister has also emerged as a leader in the camp.
Yet Gomez and Endo are nothing more than squad players at Anfield and could easily move on this summer. Elsewhere, Konate is out of contract in 2026 with his future the subject of speculation as a result, while both Diaz and Mac Allister have been linked with their own moves away.
New signings could emerge as contenders but it’s a dwindling pool to fill vacancies in the leadership group when the aforementioned players’ own futures are also uncertain.
Admittedly the importance given to the armband itself in modern football is perhaps overstated, with Liverpool boasting plenty of leaders, experienced players and international captains within their ranks. But to lose its entire leadership group in quick-succession is much more of a concern, especially when obvious replacements are limited.
In the short term, Alexander-Arnold’s exit raises the question who will become the next Reds vice-captain.
But having long since been earmarked to become Liverpool’s next captain when the time comes for Van Dijk to move on, Slot now has to decide if Alexander-Arnold won’t be the man to inherit the armband, who is, before weighing up which of his other players are best-placed to support them.