Revealed: Liverpool's transfer plan to avoid a repeat of right-back chaos
After missing out on Denzel Dumfries, the Reds are scouring the market for an option to bolster the right-hand side of their defence.
That Liverpool agonised over the sacking of Arne Slot underlined the extent to which those in charge knew that the Dutchman wasn’t entirely to blame for last season’s problems.
As far as they were concerned, the woeful 2025-26 campaign owed just as much to a squad that will require serious remodelling in order to give Andoni Iraola the best possible chance of success.
And it is understood that one of the priorities of that upcoming reshuffle is right-back, a position that gave Slot a constant headache during his final months in charge.
Between the season-ending knee injury suffered by Conor Bradley during a goalless draw with Arsenal in January and Jeremie Frimpong’s constant muscle issues, the Reds were denied a consistent option in that position last term.
That meant duties on the right-hand side of defence being shared between Joe Gomez, Dominik Szoboszlai, Calvin Ramsay and Curtis Jones, with nobody truly nailing down a place.
Fortunately, senior Anfield figures insist they have learned lessons from that, and so will take steps to ensure their head coach does not face a similar scramble for solutions in any position next time around.
When it comes to right-back specifically, that will be made infinitely easier by the availability of Bradley, who is understood to be targeting a return to training shortly after the new season starts.
That said, Liverpool will take a cautious approach with the Northern Ireland international after such a lengthy lay-off, easing him back in in the hope of avoiding further setbacks.
And while that could lead to more minutes for Frimpong, he has always privately been billed as an opportunistic signing whose usefulness comes in being dipped in and out of the team in various positions.
As such, you sense there is no desire for him to be a regular starter for an extended period, as he might be should Bradley suffer any issues upon returning.
It is also acknowledged that Liverpool lack an obvious internal solution on the right in the mould of left-siders Owen Beck, Luke Chambers and Calum Scanlon, who have all picked up recent loan experience.
So, the Reds know they are going to have to dip in the market, even if quite what they will go for is not nailed down just yet.
