Liverpool currently have three crucial players in the final year of their respective contracts at Anfield, so Richard Hughes could be set for some pivotal discussions over the coming months.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of those whose current £180,000-per-week deal expires in 2025, and while the Reds will no doubt want to retain him for much longer, it appears that they have a contingency plan to fall back upon if Plan A fails.
According to CaughtOffside, LFC chiefs are already in talks with the 25-year-old’s representatives about a potential new deal, and there’s a quiet confidence that the vice-captain will extend his stay on Merseyside.
However, if there’s still no agreement by the end of this year (he’ll be free to talk to other clubs in January), or if the player is clearly pushing for an exit (amid reported interest from Real Madrid), Liverpool will turn their attention towards trying to lure Feyenoord’s Lutsharel Geertruida as a right-back replacement.
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Geertruida has been linked with Liverpool for the past few months, and he was a notable spectator at the London Stadium when we drew 2-2 at West Ham in April, while his previous working relationship with Arne Slot is also an obvious connection.
While we don’t doubt that the Feyenoord defender is a fine player, he’s not one that the Reds urgently need at this moment in time, especially if – as seemingly expected – we manage to secure a new long-term contract for Trent.
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Even if the vice-captain is lured away from Anfield, there’s a readymade candidate to take his place in Conor Bradley, who deputised excellently for the 25-year-old last season when the England international was out injured.
It’d be a slap in the face to the Northern Ireland youngster if Trent were to be sold and an external replacement brought in to skip straight to the front of the queue for the right-back berth.
Obviously the hope is that our number 66 pens a shiny new contract which keeps him at Liverpool for another few years, but it’s no harm to have a Plan B in mind if he ends up jumping ship to Real Madrid…although it can be argued that we already have an in-house Plan B rather than needing to dip into our transfer budget.
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