Not ‘irreplaceable’: Mark Lawrenson believes Liverpool have a plan if crucial player leaves
Mark Lawrenson believes that Conor Bradley offers a readymade replacement for the right-back position at Liverpool if Trent Alexander-Arnold is to leave for Real Madrid.
The LaLiga and Champions League winners have their eyes set on one of our best players, with the 26-year-old having been heavily linked with a move away from Anfield with no imminent contract extension in sight.
Lawrenson claims that while it’d be a ‘sad day’ if the vice-captain is to leave for the Bernabeu, it wouldn’t be the end of the world as he thinks the Reds have a replacement already lined up.
The Liverpool legend told SportsCasting (via TEAMtalk): “I think Trent will go to Real Madrid to go and play with Jude Bellingham, and he’d be allowed to play wherever he wanted in that team.
“I can see it happening, I really hope it doesn’t though. He’s a well-educated guy and he’ll be thinking about going to Madrid and learning the language, earning good money, what’s there not to like?
“I wouldn’t say Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are all irreplaceable. I think Conor Bradley has the makings of an outstanding full-back if Trent were to leave. He’s shown that he’s ready to start more for the first team and already has a number of good displays to point to.”
Bradley has made 34 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions since his senior debut in the 2021/22 season.
Bradley is a good player, but he is not Alexander-Arnold
First things first – Liverpool’s second-choice right-back is perhaps as good a bench option at that position as any club can get. He filled in admirably for Trent last season, most notably in the Carabao Cup final when a very young Reds side beat Chelsea 1-0 to win the trophy.
His one goal for the first team also came against the Blues in a 4-1 win in the Premier League in January, with the academy graduate having seven assists to his name. He also impressed during the recent international break, captaining Northern Ireland for the first time.
However, Bradley is not even close to the player that Trent is. The latter is out vice-captain and, by the age of 21, he had played in two Champions League finals and then went on to win the Premier League the following year, consistently being our best creative outlet.
With all due respect to our deputy right-back, who is currently 21, it’s very difficult to see him reaching the world-class levels set by his positional teammate.
We don’t doubt that Bradley will keep getting better and better and can be a reliable player, but replacing our number 66 on a long-term basis is a huge task considering what the Scouser brings to the table.
Another point to note is that Trent was allowed to grow and make mistakes as his senior debut came in 2016, which was Jurgen Klopp’s first full season with the Reds, who weren’t title contenders at that time and the then-teenager was replacing Nathaniel Clyne, which with all due respect isn’t as big as task as what his successor would face.
Not only might Bradley have to try and emulate his vice-captain, but he’d do so at a time when the Reds are expected to win major silverare, sothere could be far more pressure on him as a succession act.
Filling the Scouser’s shoes will be extremely difficult and the best-case scenario would still be to convince Trent to extend his deal. Thankfully, Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the 26-year-old’s priority is to remain with his boyhood club.
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