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Former Liverpool star Don Hutchison has insisted that Trent Alexander-Arnold is “still the best” right-back in the world - and suggested fans would gladly take him back at Anfield.
The former Reds vice-captain of course left Merseyside during the summer following a much-discussed contract standoff. Despite coming through the club’s academy, and having been earmarked to become Liverpool captain, Alexander-Arnold decided against signing a new contract in order to pursue a move to Madrid.
Liverpool fans were left disgruntled with the decision for the 27-year-old to leave for nothing, although the club would end up getting around $12 million from Real in order to release Alexander-Arnold from his contract in time for the Club World Cup.
That didn’t quite pay off for the Spanish giant, with Xabi Alonso’s side falling at the semi-final stage to Paris Saint-Germain, which Alexander-Arnold was forced to sit out after picking up a knock.
Since then, it has been a mixed start for the former Red at his new club. He has been in and out of the side, sharing responsibilities with Dani Carvajal, and he missed out on a place in the England squad earlier this season as a result.
An injury just minutes into his Champions League debut for Real has kept him out of the side since, and has thrown his return to Anfield next month into doubt, with concerns already creeping in about his decision to move to Madrid.
Nevertheless, Hutchison insists Alexander-Arnold remains one of the best in his position, despite having fallen further down the pecking order with his country, with only one right-back in the world potentially ranked ahead of him.
Speaking to online-casinos.com, Hutchison was asked whether Newcastle’s Tino Livramento is now a better right-back than Alexander-Arnold, to which the former Liverpool midfielder replied: “I’ve seen that suggestion before, but I can’t agree.
“Trent Alexander-Arnold is still the best. Apart from Hakimi at Paris Saint-Germain, Trent is probably the next best right-back in the world. He’d be in the conversation to be No.1, too.
“I think when we look back at him after he retires, we’ll realize we were blessed, that we got to see a genuine world-class player. It’s the reason why Real Madrid wanted him, because he was smashing assist records at Liverpool.
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“People latch onto his lack of defending nous, but Arne Slot had improved him a little. I think as well, for all the rancour of his departure, if Liverpool fans were asked if they wanted him back, they’d find it impossible to say no. They’d snap your hands off.”
Liverpool.com says: We’re only a couple of months into the season, and already we’re getting shouts of Liverpool fans wanting Alexander-Arnold back.
Things haven’t quite worked out for Conor Bradley or Jeremie Frimpong yet, and no doubt there might be some who think the Reds are missing their former vice-captain. At the same time though, there will be a lot of supporters who are still hurting from his decision to leave, so don’t count on him being welcomed back with open arms just yet.
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