Carragher tells Liverpool to sign right-back in brutal Trent claim

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Liverpool must sign a new right-back to provide “serious competition” for Trent Alexander-Arnold and to ultimately replace him in the future, claims Jamie Carragher. The England defender has again received criticism for his defensive displays following the Reds’ Champions League exit.

Vinicius Junior gave Alexander-Arnold another tough night in the second leg of the last-16 tie at the Bernabeu on Wednesday. The Liverpool star was caught ball-watching as his Brazilian opponent scored the only goal of the game to secure a 6-2 aggregate win for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

It is not the first time Alexander-Arnold has received flak for his defending. And Liverpool legend Carragher believes the time has come for Jurgen Klopp to recruit in his position.

He said on CBS Sports: “The problem they’ve got in that position is they’ve never really had real competition for Trent Alexander-Arnold. One of the reasons why is because he’s been so good. So you think ‘well who do you buy? How much do you spend?’ for someone who isn’t really going to play every week.

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“But I think Liverpool are at the point now where they’ve got to go and buy a right-back. That’s Jurgen Klopp’s decision in terms of how good that right-back is, how much he costs. But that lad needs serious competition because he’s been playing now for five years at the top level, week in week out, with no rest.

“He’s won everything, he’s done absolutely fantastic, he’s won more than I could ever dream of and I’m so proud of him, a local lad coming through the ranks, but he needs help. He needs to have a long think at the end of the season about where he is as a right-back.”

Liverpool have suffered their worst campaign in recent memory. Carragher believes that if they do not return to being one of Europe’s best sides again, then Alexander-Arnold is not good enough to be part of a team who are needing to defend as much as the Reds are.

The pundit claims he did not expect the 24-year-old’s position to come under such threat until Klopp had left the club. Carragher added: “I’ve always defended him in that he’s played for one of the best teams in the world which means you do a lot more attacking than you do defending.

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“We all know his defending isn’t good enough – and I don’t think it will ever be good enough. We’re talking about a player who’s played 260 games – it is not going to massively improve now. 

“When Liverpool drop off and aren’t one of the best teams in Europe, like they have been for the last few years, now they’re one of the pack going for the Champions League. Then you’re doing more defending, less attacking.

“You see the worst traits of Trent and not his strengths going forward and that’s a massive problem. I thought this problem would rear its head when Klopp left and maybe Liverpool drop back to when I was a player when most seasons we were trying to finish in the top four.

“If Liverpool are trying to qualify for the Champions League on a yearly basis, I’m not sure Trent is your man at right-back. If they get back to being one of Europe’s best, which is what they will try and do next season, he is your man, but right now the lad needs help.”

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