Trent Alexander-Arnold agreement reached as Liverpool sent clear message

Latest Liverpool news as the Reds have been sent another verdict about the impact of Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure

Gary Lineker has echoed comments made by Jamie Redknapp about Liverpool 'missing' Trent Alexander-Arnold this season. The Reds sold the right-back to Real Madrid at the start of the summer transfer window, putting an end to months of intense speculation.

Alexander-Arnold was set to leave Liverpool on a free transfer, but an agreement was reached with Real for the defender to depart ahead of his deal expiring in time to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup. The Reds went on to replace Alexander-Arnold with the signing of Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, while right-back Conor Bradley is also still at the club.

Saturday saw Liverpool lose 2-1 to Chelsea in the Premier League, which was their third consecutive defeat across all competitions. Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, Lineker believes the Reds are missing Alexander-Arnold's influence in attack this season.

READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk issues fresh Liverpool response amid criticism after Chelsea defeatREAD MORE: Chelsea star admits they targeted one Liverpool player as Arne Slot warned he has 'clear problem'

"In terms of creativity, as much as anything else, I think they're really missing Trent [Alexander-Arnold]," said Lineker.

"Before that, sometimes Trent would go forward and they would, perhaps, get exposed defensively. But what he gives you going the other way, it's impossible to replace.

"There is not another player I can think of in world football who plays that position [right-back] in the way that he plays it offensively.

"I also think that Mo [Salah] is missing him, that connection that they had. Yes, sometimes they would get exposed in behind, but they would have someone try and cover that position - last season it was mostly [Dominik] Szoboszlai, previous to that would be Jordan Henderson.

"You've got to say it was worth his weight in gold going forward, and I always used to say, 'Stop worrying about him [Alexander-Arnold] making the odd tiny mistake defensively, because what he gives you the other way is incredible."

Lineker's comments echo remarks made by Redknapp over the weekend, where the former Liverpool star also believes his old club have issues at right-back. Redknapp explained how Alexander-Arnold's absence has created 'problems' for head coach Arne Slot this season.

"They've got problems at full-back. They're missing Trent [Alexander-Arnold]," Redknapp told Sky Sports on Saturday.

"They haven't played the same right-back since the Burnley game. [Conor] Bradley had a tough 45 minutes. [Milos] Kerkez hasn't quite adapted either - the pressure of playing for Bournemouth isn't the same.

"They have problems all over the pitch, but especially at full-back with [Andy] Robertson's injury at the end. This international break could be a good chance to reset."

For the latest news and breaking news, visit liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter @‌LivEchoLFC - the official Liverpool ECHO LFC Twitter account - for all the latest LFC news as it happens in real time.

We're also on Facebook/LiverpoolEchoLFC - your must-see LFC news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.

Listen to our podcasts by searching for 'Blood Red' wherever you get your podcasts.

Click here to read article