Xabi Alonso is said to want Real Madrid to sign one player if he agrees to become manager, but Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool could get in first.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, vice captain of Liverpool, made his second consecutive start for England in a Euro 2024 qualifying dead rubber against North Macedonia on Monday night. Both of those starts came in midfield, with Alexander-Arnold starting as the right-sided number eight against Malta last week before shifting into a double pivot alongside Declan Rice in Skopje.
Even though he continues to play in a hybrid role at Anfield, the 25-year-old has now played as a permanent midfielder in four of his last five appearances for his country. But what if Jürgen Klopp decided to follow in the footsteps of Gareth Southgate?
In theory, Alexander-Arnold could also play as Liverpool’s right-sided eight, but that would necessitate Dominik Szoboszlai shifting to the left in order to keep one of the season’s standout players, and both Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch sitting on the bench.
He could also play as a lone six, as he did against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup, but he may be ill-equipped to handle the off-ball responsibilities of that role at this point. A deep-lying midfield partnership with a more natural defender, such as Rice, might work better, but one of the advanced eights would have to be sacrificed once more.
Another complication is Liverpool’s lack of another specialist senior right-back ready to play the position in Alexander-Arnold’s stead. The club would likely have to enter the market, but encouragingly, it has already identified a potential solution, according to a report from Peruvian outlet Depor.
The Reds, alongside Premier League competitors Chelsea, have apparently decided to ‘enter the bidding’ for Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, picking him out as a ‘priority’ ahead of next season. Real Madrid is interested too, and not just because of the quality of the player. Xabi Alonso, who has steered Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga in one of the most impressive managerial feats of the season so far, has been earmarked as the 2024 successor to Carlo Ancelotti, but has apparently demanded that Real swiftly reunite him with Frimpong as a condition of employment.
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