Trent Alexander-Arnold left as a Premier League champion, but he didn’t part Liverpool in the ceremonious fashion his legacy deserved.
The 27-year-old lived the boyhood dream under Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, the Scouser in the team, who made his debut in 2017 after rising from the academy and went on to win the whole gamut before leaving for Real Madrid at the end of his contract in 2025.
|
Jurgen Klopp’s Most-used Players at Liverpool |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Seasons |
Apps |
|
Bobby Firmino |
8 |
355 |
|
Mohamed Salah |
7 |
349 |
|
James Milner |
8 |
323 |
|
Trent Alexander-Arnold |
8 |
310 |
|
Jordan Henderson |
8 |
304 |
It was a polarising move which led to boos from his own fans toward the final phase of his career on Merseyside, but Alexander-Arnold has struggled to become a superstar with Los Blancos, currently second fiddle to Denzel Dumfries under Jose Mourinho.
Why Alexander-Arnold’s transfer hasn’t worked out
Alexander-Arnold suffered throughout his first year in Madrid, only starting 14 times in La Liga as injuries ruined his hopes of hitting the ground running under Xabi Alonso, who was sacked midway through the campaign.
The 28-year-old has not fared much better this term. Though he has been fine on the fitness front, Mourinho clearly doesn’t favour him as the first-choice at right-back, and his limitations in midfield have left the bench as his usual spot thus far.
It’s a sad turn of events for one of the most incredible playmakers the Premier League has seen, but Trent made his decision, leaving Liverpool when he could have gone on to emulate the likes of Steven Gerrard in becoming an all-time great.
For all Alexander-Arnold’s genius on the ball, he has long been criticised for perceived defensive fragilities. Moreover, the England international is not intuitive enough as a typical right-back; Klopp reshaped the role in his peak Liverpool team.
Though rumours are emerging of a potential Liverpool move to bring their local lad back home, it’s unlikely that would happen, though Andoni Iraola may well have found the Merseyside outfit’s next version of their former assist king.
Liverpool have already found the next Alexander-Arnold
Replacing Alexander-Arnold was never going to be easy, but it’s fair to say that in Jeremie Frimpong, the Reds have fallen flat on their right side.
The fast-paced right-sider has not been good, and another recent injury means he will be sidelined until after the November international break. Ronald Araujo is a solid loan addition in defence, but it’s not like he’s actually the second coming of Trent in a Liverpool shirt either.
However, from a creative viewpoint, Florian Wirtz may well be turning into Alexander-Arnold 2.0 for Liverpool – an immensely talented playmaker who is routinely scapegoated despite the positive elements of their game.
Make no mistake, Wirtz has not been good enough since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in a £116m deal, but there’s more than enough to suggest that he could yet become a crucial part of a title-winning Liverpool project, offering the kind of magic on the ball that Trent used to conjure up with frightening consistency.
After all, in the Premier League this season, Wirtz might be struggling, but the underlying data suggests he is one of the most creative players in the division, albeit falling short due to questionable decision-making when in dangerous positions.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing is that it’s clear to see Wirtz is a proper player. You’d hope so, given the money FSG spent on him over a year ago. Things haven’t worked out for the German thus far, but let’s not write him off just yet, boasting the intelligence and creative ability to serve as Liverpool’s new version of Alexander-Arnold.
But anyone with half a brain can see that Wirtz has what it takes to echo Alexander-Arnold’s level of creative influence for Liverpool. He assisted in both of Liverpool’s matches last week, and against Brentford, actually created nine open-play chances – the most in a single Premier League game across the past six seasons.
Is the 23-year-old flawed? Yes, he is, but Alexander-Arnold was never the complete package for Liverpool, even during his halycon days under Klopp’s wing.
Now, Wirtz has the chance to develop into something special for the Reds. There are promising signs to be read: no Premier League player has created more than Wirtz’s 20 chances this term.
If he can rediscover his confidence and start playing with the flair and panache that characterised his extraordinary start to life in Germany with Leverkusen, there’s every reason that Wirtz can become one of Liverpool’s star players for the era ahead.
