Liverpool confirm they want €60m right-back to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold

Richard Hughes seems to have found who the club plan to replacement Trent Alexander-Arnold with.

The Reds' no.66 could still stay at Anfield. But at this stage, his situation is worrying to say the least.

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He is still yet to extend his current deal, which expires at the end of the season. Real Madrid are hot on their heels trying to get him to come to the Spanish capital.

Having seen the likes of Michael Owen, Steve McManaman and Xabi Alonso make the same path to Madrid, it's not unfeasible to think Alexander-Arnold would make the same move.

But at the same time, not all hope is lost. At the end of the day, Alexander-Arnold has not committed to Real, even though he could. He has also not said no to Liverpool either.

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Nonetheless, with just a few months until the end of the season and Alexander-Arnold's contract expiry, Liverpool are reportedly making alternative arrangements and lining up potential replacements.

Why Liverpool want Martim Fernandes to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold

There are few players capable of replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold in world football. The reality is that there isn't anyone like him.

That obviously makes Richard Hughes' job all the more difficult. At the same time, Alexander-Arnold would be leaving on a free transfer, which doesn't really give him the funds to spend heavily on a potential target.

So, Hughes has to go under the radar and that might be what he is planning to do with the club reportedly eyeing a move for Martim Fernandes.

According to Portuguese outlet Publico, a source close to the club has confirmed that Liverpool are lining up a move for Fernandes to replace Alexander-Arnold.

Fernandes has recently signed a new contract at Porto and has a €60m release clause according to the above report. But despite this Liverpool are very interested in the young defender.

At just 19 years old, he has emerged as one of the most exciting young full-backs in the game and has established himself as a regular for Porto's senior team.

One of the main factors why Liverpool like Fernandes is because of his distribution. Among U21 players he ranks highest in Europe for expected assists (0.36 per 90) and he also averages the third most key passes (1.38 per 90).

Add to that his six completed through balls which ranks him third in Europe's top 7 leagues among U23 full-backs. Meanwhile, CIES Football Observatory's Index has him performing as the 7th best U20 player in the world this year.

With such impressive data, it's probably no surprise to see Fernandes on the club's radar. He seems like exactly the type of player who would be flagged up by Liverpool's recruitment team.

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We don't want it to happen, but if Trent does leave for pastures new, Fernandes could very well be an astute signing.

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