According to reports, Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has been unable to withstand the bright lights of the Bernabeu, continuing the route that Steve McManaman and Michael Owen once took.
The 26-year-old’sfuture- along with that of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk – has been dominating Anfield headlines for months on end, a real shame for head coach Arne Slot, who should be lapping up the fanfare ahead of an expected Premier League coronation.
Rather, the Dutchman will undoubtedly have to field endless questions about Alexander-Arnold allegedly getting closer to joining Real Madrid on a free transfer at the end of the season at his next press conference.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Los Blancos have made an official offer to Alexander-Arnold’steamand are hopeful that they can close a deal, completing their difficult search for Dani Carvajal’s replacement.
Liverpool will undoubtedly be tipped to sign a direct replacement for the right-back heading to Real Madrid, even though Alexander-Arnold’scurrentunderstudy Conor Bradley is a very capable option. However, this replacement may not be able to match his incredible passing range.
Onka Sports examines four players that Liverpool may be considering to replace Alexander-Arnold in the 2025–2026 campaign and beyond.
Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen | Netherlands | 24)
With good reason, Bayer Leverkusen and Netherlands star Jeremie Frimpong has established himself as one of the best attacking full-backs in European football. Slot is reportedly in “direct contact” with him over a summer transfer.
With 15 goals in 40 games across all tournaments this season, including four of his own and 11 assists, the former Manchester City and Celtic youngster is flourishing on the right side of Xabi Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 formation.
As Slot looks to replace Alexander-Arnold’sunparalleledskills in that area, Frimpong’s playmaking stats are undoubtedly encouraging, and few players are more adept with the ball at their feet than the Dutchman.
In fact, based on FBref’s statistics for the previous 365 days, Frimpong averages 4.51 progressive carries per game in the Bundesliga, placing him in the top 2% of full-backs in Europe’s big five leagues.
Frimpong is more at ease as a wing-back, so he might not be a good fit for Slot’s four-at-the-back scheme. He also ranks in the bottom 17% for tackles won, and he only has 81.83 yards of progressive passing distance, which puts him in the bottom 1%.
Givairo Read (Feyenoord | Netherlands | 18)
When Slot took over from Jurgen Klopp last season, he decided against raiding his old team, Feyenoord. However, a rising Rotterdam star may now be the heir apparent to the Alexander-Arnold throne.
Givairo Read, an 18-year-old who was born in 2006, has taken over the right-back position at De Kuip in recent months and is beginning to establish himself as a formidable playmaker.
Read provided three of Feyenoord’s goals in their 6-2 victory over FC Twente just before the international break. In February, he also contributed two crucial assists in Feyenoord’s 2-1 victory over Almere City.
Given that he is three years Bradley’s junior, the 18-year-old would probably be a longer-term investment rather than a quick fix, and Liverpool may reportedly face fierce competition from Barcelona to sign him.
However, keep an eye on this area as Slot could take advantage of his connections in Rotterdam, and Alexander-Arnold was only a teenager when he made his debut on the Anfield scene.
Vanderson (Monaco | Brazil | 23)
Did Liverpool acquire a tough-tackling Brazilian from Monaco who goes on to become one of the greatest Reds of all time? Where have we previously seen this?
Liverpool and Monaco have a history of sharing faces, from Takumi Minamino and John Arne Riise to Fernando Morientes and the once-world-beating Fabinho. The Merseyside powerhouses could do worse than attempt to pull off the same prank on the latter.
Vanderson, a 23-year-old who left Gremio in the winter of 2022 to join Ligue 1, has one goal and two assists in 22 top-flight games this season, which may not seem like much on the surface, but a closer look reveals why Barcelona is reportedly “obsessed” with signing him.
With his incredible range of cross-field balls, Vanderson, who ranks in the top 4% of full-backs in the big five European leagues for switches per game with 0.62, could bring a little bit of Alexander-Arnold back to Anfield.
Despite playing for a team of Monaco’s caliber, the Brazilian still has a lot of defending to do, but he ranks in the top 1% of full-backs for middle-third tackles won (1.42 per game) and in the top 2% for ball recoveries (6.17 per 90).
With Vanderson starting three of their last four games and only missing the other due to suspense, it looks like he has also emerged as Brazil’s new first-choice right-back.
Daniel Munoz (Crystal Palace | Colombia | 28)
Selhurst Park might be the best place to look if Liverpool decides to follow the seasoned, Premier League-tested route in their search for an Alexander-Arnold replacement.
Daniel Munoz of Crystal Palace is reportedly drawing interest from Chelsea, Manchester City, and Barcelona, three of Europe’s top teams, after making an impression under Oliver Glasner and recording five goals and five assists in 33 games across all competitions this season.
Like Frimpong, Munoz primarily plays as a wing-back for his team, but the Colombian international frequently plays as an all-out right-back for his nation, in contrast to the Leverkusen star.
The 28-year-old would also likely be a defensive improvement over Alexander-Arnold, as he ranks in the top 1% of all full-backs in the big five European leagues with an average of 2.36 tackles won per game over the previous 12 months in the Premier League.
Although Munoz may not be as skilled as Alexander-Arnold as a progressive passer, there aren’t many more dependable right-backs who are both tenacious on defense and clever offensively.