Former Liverpool captain Danny Murphy claims the club are at fault for allowing Trent Alexander-Arnold to run his deal down and leave this summer.
The Reds surely still rocked by the news that the academy graduate is close to agreeing on a move to join Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer after nearly eight years in the first team.
With Dani Carvajal struggling with injuries and Carlo Ancelotti having to play one of his best players in Federico Valverde out of position at right-back, meaning it has become a position of priority for the reigning Champions League winners.
Speaking on the latest news, Murphy says the club are to blame rather than the player when it comes to his potential exit.
“Trent Alexander-Arnold is not at fault for leaving Liverpool on a free transfer; that is the fault of the club,” he said. “I can understand the disappointment from the fans for not getting money from the move, but you must be realistic. Trent could have been sold when he didn’t sign a new deal last year or the year before that.
“I can understand the frustration from the fans that one of their own is leaving, he’s given everything to the club and he has won everything with Liverpool. You can’t begrudge him the opportunity to go and do that at another club.”
MORE LIVERPOOL COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Liverpool, Arsenal ‘on red alert’ as Alexander Isak rejects Newcastle ‘proposal’ with ‘talks paused’
👉 Liverpool ‘told’ one star’s agents would ‘seek an exit’ amid ‘unimpressed’ claim with ‘situation delicate’
👉 Liverpool tipped to ‘grab millions’ on Alexander-Arnold as Madrid ‘ready offer’ to secure early arrival
Liverpool can’t ‘solely rely’ on Bradley
While the future of the right-back position for Liverpool is in doubt, they do already possess the talented Conor Bradley who has shone since being promoted into the first-team by Jurgen Klopp in 2023.
Injuries have been his downfall this season but they have been standout performances and moments such as the viral tackle on Kylian Mbappe at Anfield and being awarded the captain’s armband at international level with Northern Ireland.
Despite his improvements and clear potential, Murphy believes the club needs to invest in another right-back. “I think that Conor Bradley is good enough to start for Liverpool every now and again,” he said.
“However, I don’t think he can be solely relied upon to fill the shoes of Trent and play 60 or more games a season at an elite level.
“Liverpool are one of the best teams in Europe. You only have to look at their attacking talent, you have six top-class international players vying for three places; you need competition. For many years, Liverpool have benefitted from Trent and Andy Robertson being unbelievable in terms of their output and the number of games they’ve played, they have been so reliable.
“I think the club would have to look to bring in someone with a bit more experience to help Bradley and to provide that competition. He’s a good player, but he wouldn’t be able to do it by himself.”
Only a few names have been drafted, with Bayer Leverkusen’s attacking full-back Jeremie Frimpong being one standout name linked.
