It appears that the goalkeeping position isn’t the only one where Liverpool are indulging in a bout of succession planning.
Giorgi Mamardashvili is being sought as the long-term successor to Alisson Becker, and the Anfield hierarchy seem to have their eyes trained on the future when it comes to another long-serving Reds stalwart.
According to Football Insider, club chiefs are looking to sign a new left-back who can eventually succeed Andy Robertson, albeit not as a matter of immediate priority.
It’s claimed that Adrien Truffert of Rennes is one player in mind who could take over the position that the Scot has held down on a near-constant basis since his 2017 arrival.
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If Liverpool are looking elsewhere for long-term successors to Robertson, it suggests that Kostas Tsimikas is in the same boat as Caoimhin Kelleher in terms of not being regarded as a contender to hold down a fixed starting berth at Anfield.
What, then, of Truffert’s credentials to take over the left-back role from the Scotland captain in future years? The 22-year-old scored twice and provided seven assists in 43 games for Rennes last season (Transfermarkt), so his capabilities as an attacking outlet from the flank are evident.
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Compared to positional peers across Europe’s five main leagues in the past year (FBref), he ranks highly for successful take-ons, touches in the opposition penalty area, shots and non-penalty goals per 90 minutes, but falls down in terms of defensive basics such as tackles, interceptions and clearances.
He’s been described as someone who’d be a good fit for a possession-based team (Get Football News France, via Liverpool Echo), which on the early evidence of Arne Slot’s Anfield reign would suggest that he might be ideal for the current Reds side.
Robertson is still only 30 and should still have at least a couple of years left in him where he’s performing to a top level, so LFC should be able to take their time with Truffert (or alternative left-back candidates) and carry out plenty of due diligence before reaching the juncture where a decision needs to be made.
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