Rio Ferdinand has said to BT Sport that Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold would need to go join Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola if he is to play in central midfield.
There has always been a discussion around Alexander-Arnold, suggesting that the Liverpool man could be moved from right-back into a more advanced position on the pitch.
And Gary Lineker suggested that he believes that the 22-year-old may actually be better off in a midfield role, given his unique skill-set.
“You mention midfield there, I kind of see him as a midfield player,” he said. “He used to be a midfield player, he was thrust in to playing at right-back and has stuck there. You could see him being a Lahm, Kimmich or even like a Cancelo at Manchester City.”
However, Ferdinand quickly swatted aside those claims.
“Yeah, but he’d need to go and play for Pep,” the pundit said.
“And that’s not going to happen. He’s got to stick where he is, as Klopp’s not going to change him I don’t think.”
Alexander-Arnold has faced more calls for him to play in midfield recently, as his defending has come into question.
The Liverpool full-back has been asked to play on the back foot more this season, as the Reds haven’t enjoyed such dominance, and his form has dipped as a result.
Alexander-Arnold is certainly a player who can hurt teams in advanced areas, but his key strength is his crossing, and there must be questions over whether moving him more centrally would see his opportunities to put the ball in the box reduced.
Alexander-Arnold was in action for Liverpool last night and he played well, but he was unable to stop Jurgen Klopp’s side exiting the Champions League, as they could only manage a 0-0 draw with Real Madrid.
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