RIGHT-BACK REINFORCEMENTS: WILL CONOR BRADLEY AND JEREMIE FRIMPONG BOTH RETURN FOR SPURS CLASH
Liverpool’s right-back rotation reaches a turning point. We ask: Will Jeremie Frimpong finally justify his £29m price tag?
Liverpool could have both Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong back when they play Tottenham Hotspur.
Right-back has been a tough spot for Liverpool this season. Already, six players have filled that role in the Premier League before we're even halfway through the year.
This inconsistency at fullback is one reason why Liverpool's title hopes faded so quickly. But for the game against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, Arne Slot might have his usual right-back options ready.
Conor Bradley returns after missing a game due to yellow card accumulation. This season has been stop-start for him, which has made it harder to take over from Trent Alexander-Arnold. Bradley's had two injuries, so his playing time has been carefully managed.
Jeremie Frimpong, who was signed to replace Alexander-Arnold, has also had a rough beginning. He came from Bayer Leverkusen for £29 million, but two hamstring injuries have limited him to just nine games. He's been out for almost two months since getting hurt in the 5-1 Champions League win against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Slot said Frimpong might be back in training this week. With Liverpool missing some key players for the Tottenham game, Frimpong could be on the bench if he stays healthy.
Liverpool will be without their main wingers against Tottenham. Mo Salah is with Egypt at the African Cup of Nations, and Cody Gakpo is hurt.
Slot has changed his system recently, so even if they were fit, they might not have started. He's moved away from his usual 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-4-2 diamond. This has led to a five-game unbeaten run and moved Liverpool up to seventh in the league.
Using four midfielders—Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, and Alexis Mac Allister—has provided more stability and control in the middle of the field. It also allows Florian Wirtz to move into space on the left.
This diamond system could help Bradley do well if he starts against Spurs, as many expect. With Liverpool controlling the middle, there's more space on the wings for the full-backs. Even though he's not a natural attacker, Gomez was getting forward against Brighton. He was high up the pitch when he headed the ball to assist Hugo Ekitike's first-minute goal. He also got to the byline and passed back to Ekitike, who shot over the bar.
Since Bradley is a more attacking right-back, he should benefit, especially with Gravenberch or Jones offering defensive support in front of the centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
When Bradley came off the bench against Inter Milan in the Champions League, he showed glimpses of what he can do. He brought energy and enthusiasm and even had a shot saved in his 22-minute appearance.
When Frimpong is back, he should also benefit from the new setup. At Leverkusen, he often played as a wing-back, scoring 30 goals and assisting 44 times in 190 games. His crosses could help Alexander Isak get his Liverpool career going after a slow start with only one league goal.
On the left, Milos Kerkez has been improving. After signing from AFC Bournemouth for £40 million, he looked uncomfortable at first. But a few solid performances have boosted his confidence. Hopefully, he'll start showing the attacking skills that earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year.
ALISSON "OPEN" TO LIVERPOOL EXIT AS JUVENTUS PREPARE MASSIVE SWAP DEAL OFFER
With Alisson Becker open to a Juventus move, Liverpool is scouring the market for a replacement ahead of a major summer rebuild.
Liverpool isn’t just sitting around; it’s actively searching for someone to take Alisson Becker’s spot since Juventus looks serious about making a bid for their veteran keeper. Even though Alisson’s got a year left on his deal after the club triggered an extension back in March, he might leave this summer.
He’s been Liverpool’s go-to guy in goal since he arrived from Roma in 2018; he’s played 332 games, cost £67 million, and for years, he was untouchable. But injuries have piled up during the 2025/26 season, and it’s starting to look like his time at Anfield could be coming to an end.
Juventus are now right in the mix. Apparently, Alisson isn’t against the idea of leaving Liverpool, and Juventus could even throw their own goalkeeper, Michele Di Gregorio, into the deal for the Brazilian.
Juve are ready to offer Alisson a contract running through the summer of 2028, with an extra year as an option. Sky Sports says Liverpool already knows what’s happening and is getting their ducks in a row before a massive transfer window.
The club’s facing a big summer. Salah and Robertson are going, and now they might need a new keeper too. Giorgi Mamardashvili has stepped up when Alisson was out, playing 18 games across all competitions, but he’s injured himself, leaving Slot with just Freddie Woodman as his only fit option.
Recently, Slot was asked if losing Alisson at the same time as Robertson and Salah would be too much. He said, “The club makes decisions it thinks are right. If this happens, there's a reason behind it, maybe another good reason why we did what we did.”
He pointed out that Liverpool doesn’t make transfers on a whim. Decisions are thought through, with the club’s interests always at heart.
Regarding keeping Alisson for his experience, Slot admitted that’s one argument, but there are others and, ultimately, the club will decide what’s best. Alisson’s contract still has a year left.
When pressed about Juventus, Slot replied, “Ali’s main focus is clear; he wants to get back in goal for Liverpool as soon as possible and then play for Brazil. That’s his short- and mid-term future.”
LIVERPOOL WARNED TO OFFER CURTIS JONES NEW CONTRACT BEFORE 14-MONTH DEADLINE
Analysis: Curtis Jones’ elite passing stats and why Jermaine Pennant believes Liverpool cannot afford to lose the versatile midfielder.
Liverpool really needs to sort out a new contract for Curtis Jones before they make the same mistake it did with Luis Diaz. That’s what the Inside Liverpool panel thinks, especially now that Diaz is lighting up Bayern Munich and making Liverpool’s transfer moves look pretty questionable.
Bayern’s front three, with Diaz in the mix, have racked up 100 goals across all competitions this season – the first time any non-Spanish team has done that. Diaz himself has bagged 26 goals in 46 matches and just scored against PSG in the Champions League semi-final.
Looking back, Liverpool probably wish they hadn’t let Diaz walk for £65 million last summer. Since then, fans at Anfield haven’t seen anyone who brings what he did: that relentless pressing, always looming as a threat on the counter. Sure, they’ve brought in Rio Ngumoha, a teenager, just 17, but Arne Slot, the coach, knows you can’t just expect him to fill those shoes right away.
On talkSPORT’s Inside Liverpool, Jermaine Pennant, who has played for the club, said that Liverpool has to bring in another proven attacker over the summer. Pennant’s point: Diaz was great whether he played in the middle or on the left, and Liverpool needs someone with that kind of flexibility. You don’t want to sign a backup like Hugo Ekitike and then end up overcrowding with too many strikers when the main guy returns.
Now, Jones could end up in the same boat this summer. There’s a lot of uncertainty around his future, and when you look at the numbers, he’s only got 14 months left on his contract. Several clubs in England and Europe are watching, and he’s only started 15 games for Liverpool this season.
Even though he hasn’t played much, Jones is impressing; he’s second only to Rodri in midfielder passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He’s also ranked second behind Moises Caicedo for passing accuracy, and right behind Rayan Cherki for carries. Pennant said the club can’t afford to let him go: Jones is so versatile; you can play him anywhere in midfield or even right back. He knows the club, loves it, and helps connect the squad.
Jones has been one of the top performers recently. Pennant thinks Liverpool should offer him a new deal, especially since the squad is thinning out and they’ve already lost Trent Alexander-Arnold. In the end, it’s up to Jones if he wants to stay or move for more game time, but Liverpool has to make the offer while they still can.
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