Trent Alexander-Arnold will leave Liverpool in the summer – and one Manchester City player may welcome this news more than most.
Manchester City’s Premier League rivals are losing a key player in Alexander-Arnold, with the player opting not to extend his deal at Anfield.
The Reds had wanted their academy graduate to commit his long-term future.
But Alexander-Arnold spoke of wanting to take up a new challenge, having won everything at Liverpool.
Alexander-Arnold’s decision has not gone down too well with a lot of Liverpool fans, who feel it isn’t right for an academy graduate and lifelong Liverpool fan to leave for free.
But the decision is made. And it’s interesting to consider from a City perspective – and there’s one player who might be secretly quite happy he is going.
Why Kyle Walker may welcome Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit from Liverpool
Alexander-Arnold is undeniably a top-class right-back.
The 26-year-old has had a fantastic career so far, mainly making a name for himself as a playmaker.
He has almost glamourised the position of right-back with his incredible vision and execution of passing.
The fact he’s now leaving the Premier League is interesting in the context of the ‘best right-back in Premier League history’ debate.
Now, obviously, Alexander-Arnold is not in that debate.
But had he committed his long-term future to Liverpool, there would have been an opportunity for him to strengthen his case – even if some had questioned his defending.
For a lot of people, Kyle Walker – who is still a City player but currently on loan at AC Milan – is the greatest right-back the Premier League has seen.
Walker is, of course, no longer the same player as a couple of years ago.
But undoubtedly, he’s been phenomenal during his time in the English top-flight, and at City under Pep Guardiola he reached a whole new level, and won 17 trophies.
With Alexander-Arnold now looking like he’ll play for Real Madrid for at least the next four or five years, there will be very little chance of him being considered a better Premier League right-back than Walker.
Several people have said Kyle Walker is the best PL right-back in history
So while Jeremy Doku might be a tad gutted Alexander-Arnold is leaving Liverpool, it is undoubtedly good news for Walker if he has any desire to be seen as the best Premier League right-back of all-time.
And a few people have already said that he is.
Darren Bent chose Walker over Trent Alexander-Arnold, as did former City full-back Danny Mills.
Gary Neville also believes Walker is the best right-back the Premier League has seen.
And even his own City teammate Rico Lewis reckons no one compares to Walker in terms of Premier League right-backs.
