Liverpool will finally replace Trent Alexander-Arnold with academy graduate
· Yahoo Sports
As the days pass, it seems more and more obvious that the Reds are missing their former no.66.
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There are few players who have the same calibre in world football as Alexander-Arnold. He is simply on another level when it comes to his distribution and his creativity.
Many see Conor Bradley as the natural replacement for Alexander-Arnold but there are so many question marks about the Norther Irishman's injuries.
Bradley would still be a valuable squad player when he recovers from his current problems but ultimately, Liverpool need to bring in a first choice right-back - someone who other managers will actually trust - unlike Jeremie Frimpong.
This summer is the perfect opportunity for Richard Hughes to finally make that move and replace him after over a year since his departure.
The obvious candidate to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold
With so many homegrown players leaving Liverpool last summer, the Reds need to look at the homegrown market again.
It's probably why Hughes wanted to bring in Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi.
Those two ended up signing for Manchester City.
But there are still options on the market for Liverpool to pursue homegrown players. And there could be one really obvious choice - who isn't just homegrown but even more valuable because he is club-trained.
We're talking about Neco Williams, of course. He started out at Liverpool and it was clear he had a lot of talent with Jurgen Klopp putting his faith in the Welshman.
But it's at Nottingham Forest, where he's stepped up tremendously over the course of the last two seasons.
© IMAGO - Neco Williams Liverpool
The 24-year-old has been a pivotal part of a Nottingham Forest side competing in the Premier League and in the Europa League as well.
Williams has played both as right-back but has predominantly been playing as a left-back, despite this being his more unnatural position.
Yet he's flourished in the role - especially defensively. Among full-backs in the Premier League, he has averaged the third most successful defensive actions (9.81 per 90 minutes) and the fifth most interceptions (4.76 per 90 minutes).
Williams is simply brilliant in his reading of the game and very consistently wins his duels. Among defenders in the league, no one has won more ground duels than the Welshman (149).
He's a different player to Alexander-Arnold, more explosive and direct than a ball-playing playmaker. In this sense he is very much in the mould of Bradley, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Liverpool want to add more speed and directness to their game. They also need a player who can consistently put crosses into the box and this is what Williams has been doing over the course of the last two seasons. This season he ranks fifth for crosses into the penalty area (3.31 per 90 minutes).
Jurgen Klopp has previously praised his left foot as being 'incredible' and he showcased that at the weekend, registering two assists for Forest against Tottenham in a crunch tie at the weekend.
Earlier on in the season, Williams also registered an assist against Liverpool at Anfield.
The Reds can get him for a cut price as well. When they sold him to Forest for £17m back in 2022, Liverpool inserted a 15% sell on clause which could mean Richard Hughes getting him for a much more favourable fee.
And it might make even more sense to bring Williams in because of his ability to play left-back which could see him replace Andy Robertson and become the back-up to Milos Kerkez in that role.