Trent Alexander-Arnold sat on the substitutes bench during Liverpool's game against Arsenal
Life after Trent Alexander-Arnold is starting to take shape at Liverpool. The Premier League champions are in talks over a deal to sign Jeremie Frimpong of Bayer Leverkusen.
The Netherlands international has a release clause in the region of £30m and is believed to be keen to move to Anfield this summer and join his Oranje colleagues Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch.
The discovery of the release terms in Frimpong's contract means any deal can now be expedited without the need for prolonged and protracted negotiations with Leverkusen and the 24-year-old's camp are said to be increasingly confident of a deal being struck.
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Frimpong, should Liverpool reach an agreement, will arrive in a defensive department that has just one senior specialist right-back in 21-year-old Conor Bradley, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, of course, now set to depart to join Real Madrid as a free agent.
The versatile Joe Gomez is capable of operating there but the defender has once more endured an injury-hit campaign and has played just 11 minutes in 2025, which came in an FA Cup defeat at Plymouth Argyle. He is without a Premier League appearance since a hamstring issue in December at West Ham.
Jarell Quansah has been fielded there under Slot at times, most notably in the 2-0 loss to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final, but with Conor Bradley yet to prove he can consistently handle a prolonged run in the team while playing at such an intensity for 90 minutes, the need for Liverpool to recruit has become acute on the right side of their defence.
"When any team loses a top player, especially a title-winning team, it will affect the creativity of the squad," says former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson. "But I don’t think Liverpool will struggle too much without Trent.
"He has seven assists in the league this year, which is great, and he brings so much more than assists in terms of his passing range, but no single player won Liverpool this title.
“Every player in the squad is capable of being creative, and other players will step up to the plate next year and match his creativity. Liverpool have a well-rounded team, and they have just won the title. I don’t think they will miss him too much."
Speaking to the ECHO via WDW Bingo, Johnson, who made 200 appearances for the Reds between 2009 and 2015, adds: "Conor Bradley is more than capable of filling Trent’s boots next season.
"Every time he has been called upon this season, he has put in great performances. At times this season, when I’ve watched him, I thought he’s been better than Trent, especially when defending.
"So, you never know, he could potentially develop into a better player than Trent.”
Despite Liverpool's movement towards Leverkusen for Frimpong, Johnson has backed Bradley to shine in the absence of Alexander-Arnold, whose decision to leave the club as a free agent is a controversial one for supporters.
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"Liverpool definitely don’t need to sign anyone to replace Trent," Johnson says. "But they could do with signing someone who can push Conor.
"I’m not sure if anyone in the academy can step up to challenge Conor, but signing someone who could just keep him on his toes would be great. Liverpool did something similar a few years ago, signing Kostas Tsimikas to challenge Andy Robertson.
"Conor deserves his chance next season for all the brilliant performances he put in this season, I think he’s been great. I hope he takes his chance and runs with it."
The decision to step up the interest in Frimpong comes just days after Alexander-Arnold was the subject to loud boos as he made his second-half entrance in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
The West Derby-born defender was singled out for criticism from a section of the fans at the ground as he was substituted on for Bradley and Johnson thinks the jeering was unfair on the 26-year-old.
“The Liverpool fans booing Trent Alexander-Arnold against Arsenal at the weekend was crazy to me," Johnson adds. "I can understand fans being upset with the situation, but Trent has been a fantastic servant who has played a key part in every trophy Liverpool have won in recent times.”
“Things got out of hand with the way Trent’s situation has played out, and it could have been handled better by all parties. However, the club never offered him a contract he was happy with, and when that happens, players move on, no matter who you are.
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"He has given everything to Liverpool, he’s been there since he was a child and won almost every trophy. There isn’t much more for him to achieve at Liverpool, so I can understand why he made the decision.