The 10 right-backs Liverpool could sign to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold

So, the worst kept secret in football is now official. In an instant, Trent Alexander-Arnold has become the past for Liverpool.

The focus for Richard Hughes is now on the present and the future. In Conor Bradley Liverpool have a ready-made replacement who could become Arne Slot's first choice right-back.

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But Hughes and his recruitment team will know they need to bring in another option alongside Bradley to provide competition and to cover for the Northern Irishman, who struggled with injury niggles all season.

Who that option could be remains a mystery. There are a few players who fit the stylistic profile but no one in world football is at the same level as Alexander-Arnold.

We are writing this through gritted teeth and it hurts to admit that he's a generational talent. Truly one of a kind.

Somehow and in some way Liverpool will find a way to cope without him. This is what the club has always done and the man now tasked with making that mission come to fruition is Hughes.

Without further ado, here are 10 right-backs (yes you read that right) who could be on Liverpool's radar.

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Jeremie Frimpong

This is a controversial candidate. He's homegrown and he does provide a lot of goals and assists. But Frimpong doesn't profile anything close to how Alexander-Arnold plays, nor how Slot has used his full-backs in the past.

In Xabi Alonso's system at Bayer Leverkusen, Frimpong is a wing-back, but looking at his heatmap, he could even be classified as a winger.

So, unless Slot is planning major tactical tweaks to make Liverpool's system adapt to Frimpong, we just can't see this happening.

There's a lot to like about him. He's an exciting player who has box office qualities but as a right-back in a back four, he only leaves us with question marks.

Martim Fernandes

He's young and he's raw but as we've written before he ticks a lot of boxes. Fernandes has the line breaking qualities that make him a suitable replacement for Alexander-Arnold.

Sure, at 19-years-old, he's not quite ready to step in and become a first choice option for Liverpool. However, as a back-up to Bradley, this could be an interesting partnership.

According to SciSports he has a 99% similarity to Alexander-Arnold in terms of his style of play.

This combined with his defensive qualities make him a really strong profile for Liverpool. Some may see this as a risk but the reality is there's no one of Alexander-Arnold's quality in the market right now. Signing a younger player for the future just makes sense.

Givairo Read

Very similarly to Fernandes, Read has a 99% similarity to Trent Alexander-Arnold as well. Like Fernandes, he's also very young at just 18-years-old.

But unlike the Portuguese youngster, Read is someone who Slot will be familiar with having given him his professional debuy at Feyenoord last season.

Since then Read has caught the eye in the Champions League and among U23 right-backs in Europe's top 10 leagues, no one has more goal contributions (10) than him this season.

A disciplined defender who provides plenty going forward, Read is a player who is still admittedly raw but he's got all the tools to go far in the game.

Bringing him in as an understudy would make a lot of sense. Crucially, he's admitted in the past that he's a Liverpool fan, which means he already understands the privilege of representing the club.

Vanderson

In terms of playing style the AS Monaco defender is a bit more like Conor Bradley. Vanderson is a Brazilian international who is quick and loves to hog the touchline to make overlapping runs when he goes to support the attack.

Defensively, he's a very active member of his team. He ranks in the 96th percentile among full-back in Europe's top five leagues for interceptions (1.75 per 90) and in the 95th percentile for tackles (3.17 per 90) as per FBref.

With him you don't get Alexander-Arnold's line breaking passes, he ranks in the 58th percentile for progressive passes, but you do get a very direct and very competent player in that position.

He's still only 23-years-old making him an ideal profile in terms of FSG's recruitment strategy as well. Much will be determined how much Monaco are willing to let him go for, with Vanderson on a long-term contract at the club until 2028.

Jack Hinshelwood

The 20-year-old has been one of Brighton's best players this season. He's a fan favourite having come through the club's youth academy.

The England U21 star is an interesting profile because he can play in a number of positions. Often he's been playing at full-back for Brighton this season but he's also capable of playing as a holding midfielder.

Hinshelwood is a player who covers a lot of ground and wins a lot of duels. He can be an offensive outlet as well, having registered four goal contributions in his last 10 Premier League matches.

In Slot's system, he could invert into midfield from right-back and be an interesting option in that role.

Like with Vanderson a lot hinges at Brighton's valuation. This deal would be good for Liverpool only at a certain fee. But just on the surface, he's young, homegrown and capable of playing in multiple roles - so it would be smart of the Reds to have him on the shortlist.

Andrea Cambiaso

The Juventus defender has mostly been playing as a left-back this season but he can also play right-back and he's comfortable with both feet.

In terms of his playing style there are shades of Alexander-Arnold in Cambiaso. He's a very ball oriented player who looks for creative options and penetrative passes through the opposition.

Relatively quick as well, Cambiaso can track back, and be useful in the defensive side of the game, too. However, it's the progressive qualities that he offers which make him an ideal option.

He ranks in the 91st percentile for progressive passes among full-backs in Europe's top five leagues and in the 95th percentile for passes completed.

At 25-years-old, he's just entering his prime years with still plenty left at the very top of his game.

Lutsharel Geertruida

The Dutchman was Slot's right-back at Feyenoord and he has since moved onto RB Leipzig - working under Jurgen Klopp who is employed as Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer.

Under Slot, Geertruida used to invert from right-back into Feyenoord's midfield. He's a very good passer of the ball and capable of dictating the rhythm of the game.

At Leipzig, he's even been used as a centre-back, especially when the team plays in a back three.

Given Liverpool like to do business with Red Bull and the fact that Slot knows Geertruida well, he could absolutely be an option for Liverpool this summer.

Especially given the fact that he's only 24-years-old.

Hector Fort

Similarly to Fernandes and Read, Fort is raw but he's one of the most exciting young prospects at Barcelona right now.

And he could very much be on the move with Barcelona looking to bring in another right-back this summer to provide competition alongside Jules Kounde.

This would leave Fort frozen out at the club with the teenager effectively becoming third choice. He only has one year left on his current deal and this summer might just be the time for the 18-year-old to move somewhere where he is valued.

Liverpool could definitely be that place. Fort plays the possession based football Slot likes to play. He's also a good defender having grown up at La Masia coming up against Lamine Yamal, week in, week out.

Barcelona's financial struggles means Liverpool could probably do a favourable deal here that works for everyone involved. Fort won't be a first choice option but as an investment for the future and as a back-up option to Bradley, he wouldn't be the worst choice for the Reds.

Wesley

The 21-year-old Flamengo defender is on Liverpool's radar and he could become a rare transfer for the Reds, having always been active in scouting South America but never really making a move to sign players directly from the continent.

Wesley's more of the Bradley mould in terms of his playing style. He's a good defender who likes to make overlapping runs and take players on.

Both offensively and defensively, he thrives in one vs one situations and with the energy that he possesses, he could definitely be a player made for this Liverpool system.

Already a Brazilian senior international he's definitely ready to make the step-up to the Premier League and there shouldn't really be any concerns about him making that step either.

So many Brazilian stars who made the move from their homeland have pretty much slotted into the pace and rhythm of the league straight away in recent years.

Guela Doue

The brother of the Paris Saint Germain star, Guela Doue plays a little bit deeper as a right-back and as a centre-back. That's why the 22-year-old could be a really good option for Liverpool.

Doue is a defender first and foremost but he's also a player who likes to distribute the ball and make line-breaking passes.

He'd play a lot deeper than Bradley and invert into the middle and in doing so he would give Liverpool a different option to utilise rather than more of the same.

For progressive passes among his positional peers he ranks in the 88th percentile in Europe's top five leagues.

Doue also ranks in the 96th percentile for aerial duels won - largely due to playing a lot of minutes at centre-back. Relatively tall, he could be an option for Liverpool in that position as well.

Getting a two-in-one type of player is something Liverpool like to do so Doue ticks a lot of boxes in that sense. The only question mark would be whether Strasbourg would allow him to join the Reds - given they are also owned by Chelsea's owners.

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