Trent alexander-arnold’s future must be decided in more ways than one. The debate about his best position continues, but in the meantime, his employment situation is getting more attention. His current liverpool contract runs until the summer of 2025. The club’s time is still on its side, but not for too long, with alexander-arnold expected to open the next transfer window with just a year remaining on his contract. And it seems that the club will not address the issue until then. Although liverpool’s ceo, james pearce, claims there is “no anxiety” about alexander-arnold, virgil van dijk, and mohamed salah’s futures, talks are unlikely until the end of the season, in part to avoid “unwanted distractions.” It might not make the club feel tense, but it would be enough to make fans a little twitchy. After all, alexander-arnold is a generational talent out of the academy. Liverpool fans are hoping that he will retire as one of the all-time greats, but he certainly won’t be short of admirers in the transfer business.
However, jürgen klopp is still trying to figure out where alexander-arnold fits into his game plans if liverpool manages to find a renewal without too much trouble. He is still starting games from his inverted right-back position, but is being used as a bona fide midfielder with increasing frequency. There is no need to change this arrangement, unlike with the deal. Pundits like gary lineker continue to advocate for a permanent move into midfield, and klopp’s decision to keep him there when he needs a goal implies that he believes that alexander-arnold can pull the strings even more from a central base, but the uncertainty is part of it. Klopp’s future plans are likely to be revealed in the transfer business. And a step for which talks have already taken place, according to football transfers, could prove to be instructive. It occurs not at right-back, but at left-back. Andy robertson will return from injury in the near future, but neither he nor kostas tsimikas are particularly long-term options when it comes to planning for ‘liverpool 2.0.’ Rayan at-nouri of wolves is rumored to be a potential replacement. He has been a big name in the premier league, but he is far from being robertson’s natural successor. That means he will not spend the entire game bombing up and down the left flank and throwing in dangerous crosses. In fact, he has no assists in the last year, and his estimated assist count is only in the 21st percentile.
It’s clear that at-nouri is not just a out-and-out defender in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons and the 81st percentile for anticipated goals. Nevertheless, he does seem more naturally suited to the role of tucking in as a third center-back when required. Robertson had handled the challenge pretty well prior to the accident. However, if liverpool is recruiting a natural right-back, it shows klopp has no plans to revert to his right-back. Of course, that doesn’t mean klopp has alexander-arnold earmarked to continue serving as a manager. Even when the number 66 has moved infield, joe gomez or conor bradley have continued to drift into more central pockets from right-back, suggesting that innovation will continue to thrive regardless of the team’s status. Given that klopp and pep lijnders created the role specifically for alexander-arnold, a hint that it will remain implies that there are no ambitious plans for a permanent move into midfield. Someone like at-nouri on the left would allow the right-back to invert even more dramatically, so while lineker may not be content, liverpool isn’t in any hurry to give up effectively having two players in one.
