Jamie Carragher explicitly names who should be Liverpool’s new right-back if Trent Alexander-Arnold leaves

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Liverpool reached their first final of the season on Thursday as they cruised past Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup.

The Reds went into the game knowing they needed to win by two clear goals to book a trip to Wembley, and duly stuck four past Spurs.

After Cody Gakpo got the first one back for Liverpool, it seemed inevitable that the rest would follow.

Part of the reason for that is that Tottenham headed to Anfield with a lengthy injury list weighing them down.

Conversely, the only player missing from the Liverpool squad was Trent Alexander-Arnold, who pulled up with a problem at Bournemouth on Saturday.

As a result, Liverpool were given another glimpse into what life could be like without Alexander-Arnold next season. And after watching Conor Bradley deliver a top performance, Jamie Carragher says he’s decided who should succeed Trent if he does go.

Jamie Carragher gives Conor Bradley backing

There should have been few jitters from Liverpool fans at seeing Bradley step in for Alexander-Arnold.

The 21-year-old may still be young, but he already has almost 50 appearances for the Reds, plenty of them as a starter in big matches.

Bradley began last year’s Carabao Cup final, for example, and speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Carragher said his terrific outing against Spurs was just more evidence that he is ready to be the starter in a post Trent world.

“There’s only one man connected with Liverpool who doesn’t want Trent Alexander-Arnold to sign a new contract and that’s Conor Bradley,” smiled the pundit.

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“If Trent was to move on, yes you talk about needing two players [in each position] in your squad. I don’t think Liverpool should go and get a big name right back for a lot of money.

“What that lad’s done any time he’s filled in for Trent, even last season, is be that good,” Carragher adds. “If that’s his performance level, there’s not many better right-backs in the Premier League from what we’ve seen of Conor Bradley.”

Carragher urges Liverpool to sign ‘utility’ player

If Alexander-Arnold does leave, it seems fairly certain that Bradley will be promoted to the role of first choice.

However, as Carragher mentions, Liverpool will likely still need a second choice to rotate with the Northern Irishman.

According to the former Reds centre-back, this should perhaps be a centre-back who can also fill in at right-back, maybe someone in the Joe Gomez mould.

“That lad needs to be given his chance,” Carragher continued on Bradley. “He’s performed too well to have someone else come in and be the first-choice right-back.

“Maybe you bring in a utility player who could do a bit of right-back and centre-back. But Conor Bradley, if Trent moves on, needs to be Liverpool’s right-back.”