Liverpool should replace Trent with... a Striker.
Trent Alexander-Arnold provides a lot of creativity for Liverpool, and when it comes to the question of how to replace this creativity when he leaves, most people look to a new visionary midfielder, or even left-winger to generate assists for Liverpool. Some look to signings in both fullback positions to collectively contribute to make up for Trent’s lost vision.
But then something occurred to me.
Liverpool wouldn’t need to fully replace this creativity if the man upfront was putting more chances away. Maybe, just maybe, the solution to losing your right-back is a new striker?
No team in the world has had access to so much creative contribution from a fullback in a back 4 than Liverpool with Trent in recent years. And I would argue that without Trent providing chances constantly at right back, Liverpool would have been effected much more by some of Darwin Nunez’s misses. Not that they haven’t been effected, but even with Nunez upfront in countless games this season, they have won the league by a large margin.
And I understand that Nunez does provide something for Liverpool. He creates chaos upfront that makes space for other attackers to contribute. But if Liverpool want to be successful in multiple competitions at once in a season - which they have struggled with this season - then a clinical striker upfront needs to become more of a priority. Gakpo is an option upfront, and so is Diaz, but who starts on the left if one of these players is upfront and the other is unavailable? They are both good options on the left and upfront, but I think a superstar striker is still necessary when Trent leaves (for the aforementioned reasons). And I don’t think Jota is reliable enough to be a starting option here for Liverpool.
Let’s assume that Liverpool do sign a new clinical striker. I’m not going to start saying names, because I don’t know what profile of striker Slot has in mind. But let’s assume they do sign a number 9. Is this striker enough alone to make up for Alexander-Arnold’s departure? No, I wouldn’t say so. But there are 2 other factors that we need to consider alongside this striker.
Liverpool’s midfield is young, and will develop.
Liverpool’s midfield three of Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai is an exceptional midfield three. And all three of these players are still young, meaning that next season, they will most likely develop even more than they already are and contribute more to the attack. Even if this is only the case for one or two of these three, then that is still a lot of goals and assists contributed.
Liverpool will sign a new left-back.
Liverpool will almost definitely sign a new left-back in the summer. And the name most linked with Liverpool - and the name that I have been shouting the praises of for the last year - is Milos Kerkez. He already contributes massively in the attack for Bournemouth currently, and under Slot’s coaching, he will no doubt improve massively. And yes, I am talking as if this is a done deal, when it clearly isn’t just yet. But I am confident that Kerkez will end up at Liverpool next summer, not just because of his quality, but because of the Hungarian connection with Szoboszlai that will probably have an impact.
What else do you think needs to be done to replace Trent’s creativity? Let me know down below in the comments, and thank you, as always, for reading.