Jamie Carragher has urged Jurgen Klopp to continue using Trent Alexander-Arnold in a midfield position next season, in order to bring the best out of the 24-year-old.
Alexander-Arnold came under scrutiny for his patchy performances during the first half of the 2022/23 campaign, though rediscovered his form in April after being trialled in an inverted full-back role in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Easter Sunday.
This system has since stuck and resulted in the defender returning to a level fans have become used to seeing Alexander-Arnold reach in a Reds shirt. Registering seven assists in the final ten Premier League games of the season offered a clear indication of the impact made from Klopp's new approach.
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Of the view that even Jude Bellingham would not be able to match the skillset of the West Derby-born star, such is the talent of Liverpool's No.66, Carragher told The Redmen TV: “I think his body language when he’s in midfield, compared to when he’s just been playing full-back, is completely different.
“It feels like I’m watching a faster, more energetic player. I see some of the passes he plays from midfield and no matter who we buy - even if we bought Jude Bellingham - how much more could he do than what he [Alexander-Arnold] does in midfield?
“I'm not sure, whoever you buy, whether you spend £100m on anyone, they can do much more than Trent. I think another season I’d be of the mind of saying 'Let’s buy a right-back and put him in midfield', because this kid is too good to not be the centre of this team. It's his team.
“It is getting to the stage now where he is getting more mature and it will eventually become his team. He will end up being the captain. Take away the stuff he gets criticised for, which at times it is not great. He can improve on stuff, although he’ll never be amazing at it, so let’s focus on what he is amazing at. He's amazing at that [midfield role], so leave him."
As well as creating more chances for his team-mates by being provided the license to take up advanced positions, Carragher also envisages a scenario of Alexander-Arnold becoming a goalscoring midfielder for Klopp's side.
"The one thing he has never been able to do from full-back is score goals. We've seen it from free-kicks, but I actually think if he was in midfield permanently and didn't have that thing in the back of his head of 'When we lose the ball, I've got to get back there', you would be seeing someone who could get five or six goals outside the box."
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