Arne Slot Could Make Trent Alexander-Arnold Statement and Hand Liverpool Youngster ‘Golden Opportunity’ | OneFootball

Liverpool Youngster Set for ‘Golden Opportunity’ Amidst Contract Chaos

On the pitch, Liverpool’s season has been almost flawless and all should be rosy as Arne Slot continues his record-breaking introduction to English football. However, there is a slight cloud hanging over the Reds’ success this season, with three key stars having just six months left on their deals at Anfield.

That’s referring to club captain Virgil Van Dijk, record-breaking goalscorer Mohamed Salah and academy prodigy Trent Alexander-Arnold, all now able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs.

The tension over the current situation came to a head as Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Sunday. As lacklustre as Liverpool’s performance was, it was Trent Alexander-Arnold that grabbed the headlines with a fairly pathetic display in one of the biggest games of the season.

Photo: IMAGO

As frustrating as it is, with Real Madrid throwing bids in for the full-back, there is one ambitious youngster that will be licking his lips at his chance to play a huge part in a potentially historic season for the Reds…

Time is Ticking

As the clock continues to tick on Alexander-Arnold’s time at Liverpool, 21-year-old Conor Bradley is moving closer to breaking into Slot’s plans. Sunday was a prime example of how Trent should be looking over his shoulder at the youngster.

In his 86 minutes on the pitch, the Madrid-linked defender lost all five ground duels, failed to make a single tackle and completed none of his six attempted crosses. In contrast, inside just ten minutes, Bradley came off the bench to win all three of his ground duels, made one tackle and even came close to scoring the winner after skinning Bruno Fernandes down the right-hand side.

Photo: IMAGO

Ironically, you can even look back at Bradley’s Man of the Match performance against Real Madrid and who could forget that slide tackle on Kylian Mbappe? The youngster was an absolute star that night but that’s not the first time he has impressed in the absence of Alexander-Arnold…

Looking at the 2023/24 Season

Rewind back to this time last season, where Alexander-Arnold was sidelined for a couple of months with a knee injury. Up steps Conor Bradley, playing a huge part in Liverpool’s title challenge, as well as putting in a brilliant performance in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea.

His first goal for the club was a brilliant run and finish in the 4-1 victory over Chelsea last January. Bradley also notched six assists across all competitions between January and the end of the season. For context, Alexander-Arnold has nine assists in his last 76 Premier League games, which suggests there has been a drop-off in his creative output.

Photo: IMAGO

Obviously, Trent is one of the best full-backs in the world and is still comfortably a better player than Bradley as it stands. However, if the academy prodigy is to put in more performances like the one against Manchester United or if this Real Madrid saga continues to rumble on, then Slot could be in line to make a huge statement by handing more minutes to Bradley…

Upcoming Games

Conveniently, this week marks a great opportunity to make such a statement. With the Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday prior to an FA Cup Third Round clash with Accrington Stanley on Saturday.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if we were to see Bradley play both of those games, but equally some would suggest that Liverpool would be better off with the 21-year-old in the lineup for the crucial trip to Nottingham Forest next week.