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Liverpool might lose Trent Alexander-Arnold for free at the end of the season. Real Madrid is talking to him about moving to their team.
Liverpool wants Alexander-Arnold to sign a new contract, but he has said no. He told the club he will leave when his contract ends.
Alexander-Arnold is 26 years old. He grew up in Liverpool and started playing for the first team in 2016 when he was 18. He has played 349 games for Liverpool. He became one of the best players under coach Jurgen Klopp.
A Big Loss for Liverpool?
If Alexander-Arnold leaves, it will be a big problem for Liverpool. He is one of their best players. He helps create many chances for goals. The team will find it hard to replace him.
A Special Player
Alexander-Arnold has changed the way defenders play football. He is not just a defender—he is also like a playmaker. He makes many passes and helps Liverpool attack.
Since 2016, he has created the second-most chances in the Premier League. Only Kevin De Bruyne from Manchester City has created more.
Alexander-Arnold has made 514 chances in the Premier League. No other defender has more. His teammate Andrew Robertson is second with 421.
Not Just a Corner-Taker
Some players create chances only from corners, but Alexander-Arnold is different. He can pass the ball in many ways. He has made 88 through-balls since 2018. This is more than any other defender.
He has also given 63 assists since 2018, which is the third-most in the Premier League. Only Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne have more.
Expected assists (xA) show how good a player's passes are. Since 2018, Alexander-Arnold has the highest xA in the league. This means his passes create very good chances to score.
The Best at Passing Forward
Alexander-Arnold makes a lot of passes into the box. He has made 2,593 passes into the box since his debut. No other player has more.
He also makes great long passes. Since 2017, he has made 400 long passes to switch play. This is almost double any other player. The next best is Brighton’s Lewis Dunk with 236.
A Good Partner for Salah
Alexander-Arnold has helped Mohamed Salah a lot. He has given more passes to Salah than any other player. He has made 100 chances for Salah since 2017.
Salah is Liverpool’s best player, but Alexander-Arnold helps him a lot. Losing Alexander-Arnold could make Salah’s job harder.
Defensive Weaknesses
Alexander-Arnold is great at passing, but some people say he is not good at defending. Since his debut, he has been dribbled past 296 times. This is more than any other player.
Can Liverpool Replace Him?
It will be very hard for Liverpool to replace Alexander-Arnold. No defender in the Premier League has his creativity.
Liverpool has a young defender, Conor Bradley. He is 21 years old and has played 50 games. He played well when Alexander-Arnold was injured last season.
But Bradley is a different type of player. He is not as good at creating chances. He makes fewer assists and crosses than Alexander-Arnold.
Liverpool may not find another player like Alexander-Arnold. Instead, they might need to change their way of playing.
Glossary
Contract – A legal agreement between a player and a club.
Free transfer – When a player moves to a new club without a transfer fee.
Academy graduate – A player who trained in a club’s youth team.
Playmaker – A player who creates chances for their team.
Assist – A pass that helps another player score a goal.
Expected assists (xA) – A measure of how likely a pass is to lead to a goal.
Through-ball – A pass that goes past defenders to a teammate.
Switch play – A long pass to change the side of attack.
Dribbled past – When an opponent moves past a defender with the ball.
Creativity – The ability to make new chances in attack.
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