You could make a very good argument that Liverpool currently possess the best pair of full-backs in the country, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better duo anywhere in the world. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson are not just incredible weapons going forward with explosive crosses, wonderful vision and a majestic passing range, but they are also two excellent defenders who consistently deal with threats of opposing sides. At just 21 and 25, they are both yet to hit their peak years, a very exciting thought. In fact, the only bad thing about Alexander-Arnold and Robertson is that we can’t clone them. We only have one of each.
The lack of a bona-fide replacement for either full-back is a noticeable hole in the Liverpool squad. On the occasions that either of them miss a game due to injury, suspension or rotation, they are more often than not replaced by James Milner. The Englishman is a remarkably versatile player and will always do a respectable job but at 34 years of age, this can’t go on forever and the drop-off in quality from those areas when Milner is deployed there is stark. It’s not his fault – he’s a midfielder by trade and this is where he would prefer to play. Other options that Liverpool have used in the full-back roles have included Jordan Henderson, who is even less at home there, Joe Gomez, who is such a good centre-back that it is a waste of his capabilities to use him there, and youngsters like Neco Williams and Ki-Jana Hoever, who have a lot of promise but are still raw and need time to develop. This absence of a high-standard back-up means that if Alexander-Arnold or Robertson pick up an injury, we’d be in serious trouble, and also prevents them from having the regular rest they need to help stave off potential injuries.
Reports this week suggest that Liverpool are looking to sign a backup for our full-backs and I have identified five players – three right-backs and two left-backs – that could be options for Liverpool to supplement their ranks. In November, I wrote a similar piece looking at some players I thought could improve the squad’s attacking options. This article ended up being one of the pieces I am most proud of, as I singled out Takumi Minamino as a player who could be a great signing for the Reds, and lo and behold, four weeks later, the Japanese international had arrived on Merseyside.
So, what did I look for when identifying candidates? Well, first of all, it was different to when I was searching for attacking players because of Alexander-Arnold and Robertson’s rightly unchallenged status as first-choice. I wasn’t looking for players to come in and put pressure on them, or to share game time. I was looking for backups. This meant that I needed to find players who would be willing to accept a bit-part role, playing in the cups, as well as the odd Premier League and Champions League appearances. Despite this, they needed to be good enough that there wouldn’t be a seismic drop-off in quality from the first-choice pair if they were to come in for the odd game, or even for an extended period in case of injuries. Finally, due to how crucial the full-backs are to Liverpool’s style of play, I have looked to find players who could emulate the style of Alexander-Arnold and Robertson, possessing similar attributes such as pace, crossing ability and vision, in order to create a seamless transition for first-team appearances, just as Jurgen Klopp does with youth players.
Right-Backs
Maxime Colin
Age: 28 Club: Birmingham City
Birmingham’s Maxime Colin has been a model of consistency since joining the Blues from Brentford in 2017 and the Frenchman is enjoying a fine season which has established him as almost certainly the best right-back in the Championship. Colin’s delivery has grown in reliability this season – with a delicious cross for Lukas Jutkiewicz’s recent opener against West Brom a highlight. I saw Colin live at St Andrew’s in a 1-1 draw with Bristol City in August and this confirmed my belief that his crossing is similar to that of Alexander-Arnold, and his five assists this season are proof of his success in that department. He has been a key attacking weapon in Birmingham’s system this season as Pep Clotet has looked to get the Blues playing a more attractive brand of football. It isn’t just his offensive work though; Colin is a good reader of the game and a super tackler. His pace means he contributes at both ends of the pitch, speed that belies him being such a dominant force in the air. He is a leader of the team and was awarded the captaincy for November’s draw at Hillsborough with Sheffield Wednesday in the absence of Harlee Dean. It would do no harm to establish a positive relationship with Birmingham, given the emergence of 16-year-old Jude Bellingham, who is on a procession to superstardom, with predictions of him becoming the best English player in generations meaning Liverpool will surely be interested at some point.
Pros:
- Colin plays similarly to Alexander-Arnold, meaning appearances for Liverpool would see a seamless transition between the Scouser and the Frenchman.
- At 28, he is likely to accept a rotation role at a top Premier League club, and may be receiving of more gametime due to his ability to comfortably play at left-back as well as his preferred right-back role – he could be Liverpool’s backup for both positions with further cover from Milner, Williams and Larouci.
Cons:
- The 28-year-old defender has never played in the Premier League, and this may be a concern for some fans.
- Whilst Colin’s crossing and delivery from wide areas is terrific, he isn’t the best passer of the ball and so wouldn’t be able to replicate Alexander-Arnold and Robertson’s brilliant switches of play.
George Baldock
Source: sufc.co.uk
Age: 26 Club: Sheffield United
Here is a name which I believe we would be hearing a lot more of were it not for Trent Alexander-Arnold. Baldock has been exceptional for Sheffield United in their first season back in the big time and has been a crucial component in the Blades’ superb first half of the campaign. There were questions last season about whether Baldock would be able to make the step up from the Championship, but he has answered them with aplomb, rapidly rising to be right amongst the top five right-backs in the league. A player with good physicality, he is strong in the tackle and hard to beat – while his stamina sees him cover endless ground. Baldock’s greatest strength is his attacking qualities – he is very quick and has a tremendous cross on him – so much of Chris Wilder’s system relies on the on-the-money deliveries from the 26-year-old, who is of Greek descent. Baldock has registered four assists this season as well as scoring twice himself. His best performance came in the win at Carrow Road, assisting fellow full-back Enda Stevens with a pinpoint cross into the box before spinning and shooting from 16 yards out three minutes later, his shot finding the bottom corner. Only two defenders have had more goal contributions than Baldock this season in the Premier League – Alexander-Arnold and Robertson.
Pros:
- By signing Baldock, Liverpool would be acquiring a full-back with a similar mindset to the ones they currently have – be outlets for the attack, while still performing defensive duties.
- The former MK Dons man is perhaps the closest thing to Alexander-Arnold that Jurgen Klopp could find in the Premier League. There would hardly be any knock-on effect of Klopp choosing to rest his first-choice from time to time.
Cons:
- Baldock’s superb first season in the top-flight has seen him emerge as one of the best right-backs in the league and is probably too good to be a backup.
- Sheffield United’s three at the back system is something which is alien to Liverpool, and there is a chance that he may struggle to adapt from such a different setup – some players are simply suited to very specific roles and Baldock may be one of those players.
Thomas Foket
Age: 25 Club: Stade de Reims
Now for a bit of a left-field option from overseas. Belgian right-back Thomas Foket signed for Stade de Reims in 2018 and has been very good for the French team, who have enjoyed the first season and a half of their return to Ligue 1. One of the best tacklers in the league, Foket has helped Reims to concede the fewest goals of any team in France. The 25-year-old is defensively excellent and possesses all the necessary attributes – tackling, awareness, positional sense, strength. Foket averages 2.5 tackles per match, which is right among the highest in the league and more than double Alexander-Arnold’s. However, the Belgian manages to excel in both areas of the pitch – he is renowned for being a great crosser of the ball, as well as a solid dribbler – he has drawn more fouls this season than Colin or Baldock. Foket’s pace means that he is often at the byline having beaten his man before crossing, whereas Alexander-Arnold, Colin and Baldock all prefer to cross from slightly deeper areas. Despite this, in terms of success rate, Foket is the best crosser in Ligue 1 at getting his deliveries into the box. His best moment of the season came in a surprise 2-0 win away at PSG, in which his side defended phenomenally before countering and scoring twice – Foket assisting the first.
Pros:
- Foket appears to be the ‘best of both worlds’ option, with very impressive defensive statistics but also playing a key role for Reims going forward.
- Reims often sell their stars at cut-prices. Aston Villa recently purchased their star centre-back Bjorn Engels for £7.2m and became the second most expensive Reims departure of all time. Likewise, Brentford purchased Julian Jeanvier for just £1.8m 18 months ago.
Cons:
- Many players from Ligue 1 have struggled to adapt to the Premier League, even Fabinho took a while. Historically, it has been one of the hardest transitions to make.
- Despite being a reliable crosser, Foket’s deliveries have actually yielded just a single assist this season. Assists can be a very misleading stat and there may be reasons for this, but it could be a concern for some.
Left-Backs
Borna Barisic
Source: rangers.co.uk
Age: 27 Club: Rangers
Croatian left-back Borna Barisic has established himself as Rangers’ first-choice this season following a string of superb displays for the Scottish team. After a tricky start in Glasgow last year, he finished the season positively and has started this one on fire, particularly offensively. 13 assists in 27 games is a crazy return and is the greatest indicator of the Croat’s quality from wide areas. He is a fabulous exponent of the set-piece, delivering pinpoint crosses with a great degree of regularity as well as being very comfortable with a free-kick – Barisic’s goal against St Mirren was described by manager Steven Gerrard as ‘the best free-kick I’ve ever seen’. His crossing is incredibly accurate and regularly finds his target – the assist for Alfredo Morelos against Feyenoord was one of the finest crosses of the season. Perhaps his most impressive performance this season though was his most recent, in Rangers’ big 2-1 win at Celtic Park, in which he notched up a pair of assists; the first a gorgeous pass on the floor to Ryan Kent and the second a precise corner onto the head of Nikola Katic. He crosses in a very similar fashion to Robertson, picking his spot beautifully from areas parallel to the edge of the box. Barisic is also a good defender though and is part of the best defence in the Scottish Premiership – Rangers have conceded just 11 times in 19 games.
Pros:
- Barisic’s assists record this season is absolutely ridiculous and would be able to attack in a very similar way to how Andy Robertson does – full-backs are very important to Gerrard’s 4-3-3 in the same way that they are to Klopp.
- Because of his age, Liverpool may be able to secure the Rangers defender for a modest fee, especially considering the fact that Liverpool have loaned the Gers two players and sold Kent to them in the last 18 months.
Cons:
- Detractors of Scottish football may believe that Barisic hasn’t played at a high enough level to justify being a good back-up option for Liverpool, though I would point to his record in the Europa League this season of six assists in nine games.
- Given just how incredibly impressive Barisic’s production rate is, there could be a bidding war with other clubs interested, and the player is perhaps too good to be a definite back-up.
Ruben Duarte
Age: 24 Club: Deportivo Alaves
Spanish left-back Ruben Duarte has been one of the most reliable full-backs in La Liga since making his debut for Espanyol in 2014. In 2017, Duarte swapped Catalunya for the Basque country, signing for Deportivo Alaves. Duarte is a magnificent crosser of the ball and always looks to place it on Alaves’ target man Joselu’s head. He has assisted twice this season, though he is important in Alaves’ build-up play and is a good passer. Like Thomas Foket, Duarte is a very good defender as well as an attacking full-back and is among the best tacklers in La Liga. His defensive statistics make for impressive reading – averaging 1.8 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, as well as catching the opposition offside 0.4 time per game. His reading of the game is exemplary and this helps cover for a slight lack of pace. At exactly 1.8m tall, he is useful in the air and also has a good physical skill-set. These attributes help him play at centre-back, his secondary position where he has been deployed twice this season and eight times in his career. This is a player who would be able to replicate the quality of crossing of Robertson, but perhaps with less regularity – Duarte averages far less crosses per game, though does play in a system which doesn’t encourage full-backs to attack. He is a very solid defender and could represent an excellent back-up for Klopp.
Pros:
- Duarte would bring a lot of attributes to the side – physicality and defensive awareness, as well as a knowledge of how to attack the flanks.
- A very good left-back but someone who has also played centre-back and could fill two positions in the squad, which could ease fears over how much playtime he would get.
Cons:
- In 2017, Duarte left Espanyol after losing his place in the first team. This perhaps hints at someone who would not be willing to be second choice, particularly as he is about to approach his prime years.
- One attribute which the Spaniard lacks in comparison to some of the other players I have looked at is pace, which is important in such a demanding system that he would have to play in at Liverpool.
There were some other players I considered, with one of the most high-profile ones being Argentinian left-back Marcos Acuna, though I decided against him after seeing that he has fallen down the pecking order at Sporting CP recently. Ryan Manning at QPR was really interesting me earlier in the season but has dropped off dramatically of late and has been part of an awful defence in the Championship. Another London-based left-back is Rico Henry, who has been very good for Brentford this term, though I have concerns over his defensive abilities. This was a similar story with Bristol City’s right-back Jack Hunt. I do think that we could do worse than Danny Rose on a free agent, but it has to be said that his stock has fallen dramatically since Jose Mourinho arrived at Tottenham. Then I come to the Norwich full-back duo, both of whom have been linked with the Reds. Starting with Max Aarons, the reasons I wouldn’t sign him as a back-up for Liverpool is quite simply that he is too good for a role like that, and at such a similar age to Alexander-Arnold, is highly unlikely to accept being second-choice to someone of his age group. Jamaal Lewis has been subject of plenty of transfer speculation, though I don’t feel he has made the step up from the Championship and this has resulted in Sam Byram playing a lot of the time instead of him. In terms of young left-backs, Wolves’ Ruben Vinagre and Norwich’s new acquisition Sam McCallum could be options.
What are your thoughts? Which of my five options do you think would be good deals for Liverpool?
Daniel (@daykind19)
Daniel Daykin
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