Arne Slot embraces Conor Bradley of Liverpool after the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Liverpool FC at Amex Stadium on May 19, 2025
A penny for Jeremie Frimpong's thoughts. The Dutch right-back has yet to complete his move to Liverpool but, if he was settling down to watch his potential new club on Monday evening, it wouldn't have taken long for him to realise he's going to be in a scrap if and when the switch from Bayern Leverkusen is confirmed.
Because Conor Bradley is certainly ready for the fight.
Installed by Arne Slot as Liverpool's first choice right-back following Trent Alexander-Arnold's announcement that he will leave the club in the summer, the 21-year-old is determined to remain the automatic choice.
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Liverpool triggered Frimpong's £30m release clause and scheduled a medical for the 24-year-old, but Bradley committed his own future to the club on Saturday with a new, four-year deal and he started this game with intent.
Within 10 minutes he'd notched an assist, taking Dominik Szoboszlai's raking ball in his stride and nutmegging Simon Adingra before sliding in Harvey Elliott to score.
Throughout the first half he regularly took up threatening positions and he should have netted Liverpool's second when picked out by Federico Chiesa.
He was caught out for the equaliser, though, failing to track the run of Yasin Ayari, but blocked well from Adingra and Brajan Gruda as Brighton continued to threaten in a lively opening 45 minutes.
In the second half he almost almost set up Mohamed Salah to score, before Brighton equalised again down his side when Kaoru Mitoma followed in Danny Welbeck's shot.
Bradley is a different type of player to his predecessor at right-back, his scampering style contrasting to that of the languid Alexander-Arnold. But he's no less threatening, taking up positions inside the box and giving Liverpool a different dimension through his hard-running.
But with Mohamed Salah admitting he'd asked Slot to do less defending, Bradley will have to get used to being sharp at both ends of the pitch. Alexander-Arnold was often criticised for his own defensive work but as Bradley is learning, it's not as simple playing for a team who commits to so many players forward so often.
And it remains a concern that Bradley, who was replaced by Wataru Endo with 13 minutes left to play, has yet to complete a full match after returning from a hamstring injury suffered over the Christmas period, with Slot still building up the Northern Irishman's fitness.
But while Alexander-Arnold will be missed, Liverpool's options are already looking promising with Bradley and Frimpong in their ranks.