Conor Bradley has earned the trust of Arne Slot and should be considered a candidate to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold should he leave the club in the summer, Reds expert David Lynch has argued.
Alexander-Arnold picked up a minor injury against Bournemouth on February 1, and is a doubt for his side's match against Everton on Wednesday.
Slot started Bradley against Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup semi-final on February 6 but chose to leave the full-back out of the team that were embarrassingly eliminated from the FA Cup on Sunday after losing 2-1 against Plymouth Argyle, hinting that the defender was rested in anticipation of his involvement against Everton.
Lynch believes that Bradley has done enough to earn the trust of Reds fans, and even suggested he could claim Alexander-Arnold's right-back spot should he depart at the end of the season, telling Sports Mole: "There's a real claim that if Trent were to leave - and that's still very much up in the air - if Liverpool were to buy a right-back, it should be a backup for Connor Bradley. You put full faith in him.
"Trent missed the Spurs game, [but you didn't] worry about it, you [didn't] fret about it because the guy who came in was Connor Bradley and he's an absolutely fantastic young footballer. [Liverpool have] got real strength in depth and every time they do get one of these little injury niggles, you're not too concerned because you know they will show that depth."
Alexander-Arnold has regularly been linked with a summer move to Real Madrid, and with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, it looks like there is a real chance he may leave Anfield for Spain.
What does Bradley offer Slot?
Alexander-Arnold is regarded as one of the league's finest passers, and his ability on the ball has so far seen him rack up 64 assists in the top flight, the most by a defender in Premier League history.
The right-back has often positioned himself just outside of an opponents' block, readying himself to play the ball either behind or through defensive lines.
While Bradley is not as accomplished in possession, his relentless energy provides a different threat down the right side, and Lynch told Sports Mole that the 21-year-old is similar in style to Reds legend Andrew Robertson, saying: "He isn't Trent Alexander-Arnold - nobody is from that position in terms of what they offer [when] progressing the ball.
"[Bradley's] different in the way he does it. He's a dribbler and can come inside, he's more powerful in the way he runs than Trent. He gets [into the final third] in a different way and he's probably never going to be as creative, but he is also defensively better.
"I'm certain that while he won't offer what Trent does on the ball, he can absolutely offer something that is Liverpool level in terms of being a right-back, even if it's more orthodox and more like Andy Robertson [but] on the other side - he's profile-wise like that. There's no doubt in my mind that he's good enough to be Liverpool's first-choice right-back, should it come to that."
Bradley drove from right-back to register an assist for Dominik Szoboszlai against Spurs, and has often combined with Mohamed Salah out wide, opening up space for the Egyptian to either drive at goal or create a chance for a teammate.
© Imago
Why Liverpool's squad depth makes them Premier League favourites
Regardless of whether Bradley is seen as an alternative to Alexander-Arnold next season, the Northern Irishman's performances this term have showcased that Slot boasts considerable squad depth.
Ibrahima Konate, Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota are just some of the stars that have been forced to sit on the sidelines at times this season, but their injuries have hardly had an impact given Liverpool have reached the EFL Cup final, finished first in the Champions League table and could go nine points ahead of second-placed Arsenal with a victory against Everton.
While Lynch argued that the Reds are fortunate to currently have most of their players fit, the squad's immense quality has meant there has been little drop off in terms of performance level, telling Sports Mole: "I see a lot of talk that Liverpool's squad might gas out at the end of this season or they might have a collapse similar to last season, but it's chalk and cheese.
"I've never seen an injury crisis like [2023-24] in my many years covering Liverpool. This year, I don't think I've seen a season like it in terms of availability. It's absolutely crazy how they seem to have a fully fit squad coming into February minus Trent.
"When this squad is fully fit, it is easily the best in the Premier League. Six top class attacking options, great options in midfield as well. All across the back line, two right-backs, two-left backs, four centre-halves, two great goalkeepers. The strength of depth is ridiculous."
Alexander-Arnold has not yet been ruled out of Liverpool's clash against Everton, but Slot will undoubtedly feel that he can trust Bradley to step up in his absence in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
Lewis Nolan
