Premier League winner can help Liverpool 'fill the void' left by Trent Alexander-Arnold
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Trent Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool for Real Madrid 12 months ago, and one former Premier League footballer thinks he hasn't been replacedLiverpool have gone backwards since Trent Alexander-Arnold left the club and Arne Slot should look to bring in another experienced right-back this summer.That's the view of former Arsenal and Everton midfielder Anders Limpar, who has been talking about the Reds' struggles this season as the Premier League campaign draws to a close this weekend.Liverpool started the campaign as English champions but saw academy graduate and influential playmaker Alexander-Arnold end his association with his hometown club on May 30, 2025, opting for a new career in the Spanish capital with Real Madrid.The move has contributed to a bitterly disappointing 2026/27 season for Slot and his revamped squad, who not only failed to produce any resemblance of a defence of their title, but are still yet to secure Champions League qualification, heading into Sunday's match against Brentford, despite the English top flight being granted a fifth spot in the competition.READ MORE: Liverpool in transfer talks over 17-year-old wanted by Barcelona and Borussia DortmundREAD MORE: Liverpool teenager Rio Ngumoha given England call-up ahead of World CupSummer signing Jeremie Frimpong has endured an indifferent first year at Anfield, failing to cement the right-back position as his own despite Conor Bradley suffering a season-ending injury in January.It is one of several issues Slot has had to deal with across the campaign, and former Swedish international Limpar thinks the Reds are heading in the wrong direction.Speaking to Betano Online Casino, he said: "Ever since Trent left Liverpool, you can see the whole team has been going downwards. He must have been such a character in the dressing room, a good player, good going forward.“I'm not the biggest fan of him when it comes to defending, because he is not a good defender.
But the way Liverpool were playing with (Virgil) Van Dijk and going forwards, especially the link-up with (Mohamed) Salah, they looked amazing."FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageThe Reds could be back in the market for a new full-back this summer, with left-back Andy Robertson set to leave the club after nine seasons, but a new right-back could also be considered and Limpar believes that new Premier League champions Arsenal may have the answer."Nowadays, the link-up with Mo Salah on the right side hasn't been that good," he said.
"They've even tried Dominik Szoboszlai as a right-back to link up with Mo Salah."That might be the reason that they haven't been up there competing for the Premier League. Ben White would help fill that void."White, 28, has made 30 appearances for the Gunners this season but looks set to miss out on the chance to appear in the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30, after suffering a knee injury against West Ham United.It remains to be seen whether the Reds will re-enter the transfer market for a right-back this summer, but with Robertson and Mohamed Salah both on their way out and questions remaining around a host of other players, it could be another summer of big change at Anfield.