Liverpool hold talks to sign their next Alexander-Arnold

However, Liverpool are not creating enough to convince fans that they have what it takes to solidify a place in the top four and perhaps even find a winning streak which could lift them up and toward Arsenal at the top of the table.

Why Liverpool still miss Alexander-Arnold

Ronald Araujo is doing a fine job at right-back this season, but the Uruguayan defender is not a long-term solution as Liverpool's star right-back, even if his loan move is made permanent in 2027.

But Liverpool don't only miss the Three Lions star from a positional perspective. Indeed, Trent's inimitable playmaking has been vacuumed from the Reds' system, and Arne Slot and now Iraola have thus far been unable to replace it.

It's hardly surprising that Liverpool are struggling in the build-up, given that Florian Wirtz has flattered to deceive as his creative replacement, and the rest of Liverpool's midfield lack the knowhow on the creative front to actually create and sustain the type of elite build-up patterns Iraola craves.

It's obvious, in more ways than one, that Liverpool need to find a way to replace their homegrown hero.

How Liverpool can finally replace Alexander-Arnold

As already referenced, Araujo has been in fine fettle since leaving Barcelona and enjoying a career revival on Merseyside. The 27-year-old is a ball-winning machine, a physical force.

He's certainly more stable than Jeremie Frimpong, whose Liverpool career looks like it's in the gutter, and there's no dispute over Araujo's success in becoming one of the outfit's shrewdest signings in years.

However, a fully-fit Conor Bradley would displace Araujo, offering a more balanced backline, offering creativity and progression down Liverpool's right.

Bradley is rarely half-fit, though, and the thought of the Northern Irish full-back sustaining his finest level across the course of a year.

Liverpool need more creativity, and they certainly need some more depth out on the right flank of Iraola's backline. Wouldn't it be wonderful if FSG managed to sign the club's new version of Trent?

Liverpool in talks to sign the new Trent

Alexander-Arnold is a special, special footballer, and there are few right-backs worldwide who could replace him as a Liverpool-standard full-back while adding a rich dimension to the club's playmaking ability.

Well, TEAMtalk have reported that Liverpool believe they have such a solution in Pedro Porro , with the Tottenham Hotspur defender hopeful of leaving north London in 2027.

The 27-year-old might hold onto a dream of playing for either Barcelona or Real Madrid in his homeland, but Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City are not deterred, having engaged in active talks with the player's representatives.

Spurs would demand £60m (a world-record fee for a full-back) to permit his departure.

Would it be worth it? There's no denying that Porro has been at the epicentre of an embattled Spurs side over the past several years, but he has been lauded for his “titanic” performances in north London in the past by The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare, and he has created seven big chances per season in the English top flight.

One of "the best right backs in the world" in the words of Roberto De Zerbi, he is a natural-born technician and there's no question that Porro would raise his game when targeting forwards of a higher calibre over at Anfield. In the Premier League this season, he ranks among the top 7% of defenders for line-breaking passes completed per 90 (15.36).

There you see the Trent-esque passing ability that would solve one of the fundamental issues inhibiting Iraola at the start of his tenure. Liverpool need more forward thinkers, players who make servicing the forwards their priority.

Porro is also a combative defender with a fire in his belly which was ignited when Spain won the World Cup this summer. Liverpool need to get this deal over the line, signing the new Trent at right-back and solving their glaring issue from a creative standpoint while at it.