Will Jeremy Flynnon be the direct replacement for Trent Alexander Arnold?

Alexander Arnold has been a key figure in the Merseyside club since making his debut in the first team, and he has been providing creativity to the team on the right.

But after helping Liverpool win a second Premier League title, the England player may head to a new arena, and Real Madrid seems to be waving to him.

Finding Alexander Arnold's replacement is not easy, but Liverpool seems to have acted quickly and regard Leverkusen's Jeremy Flynnon as an ideal candidate.

The Dutchman's contract with Leverkusen includes a termination clause worth 35 million euros (£29.6 million), and negotiations between Liverpool, Leverkusen and the player himself are advancing.

Flynpon's early experiences

Although Flynpon became famous on the European continent, the defender initially honed his ball skills in England, and he joined Manchester City youth training camp at the age of 9.

Although he did not make a breakthrough at Manchester City, Flynnon eventually transferred to the Celtics in 2019. He quickly impressed the team, and after helping the team achieve the domestic triple-winning championship in his first season, he was named the club's Young Player of the Year.

However, other clubs quickly pursued him, and in January of the second season, Flynnon left the Celtics and joined Leverkusen.

After a solid start in Germany, Flynnon has been in better shape since the arrival of Xavi Alonso in October 22.

In particular, the Spanish coach's decision to adopt a three-center-back system and deploy Flynnon as an offensive right-wingback, which unleashed the Dutch's offensive threat.

Flynnon scored only one goal in the first half of the Bundesliga season, but in his first season as Alonso coached, he scored an impressive eight goals. The Dutchman is equally crucial for the following season, with 26 goals in 47 games, helping Leverkusen remain unbeaten in the league while also winning the German Cup.

Although Leverkusen's performance this season was not satisfactory, Flynnon still contributed 5 goals and 12 assists in various competitions, helping the team qualify for the Champions League next season.

How does he compare to Trent Alexander Arnold?

Flynnon and Alexander Arnold both have offensive awareness and can contribute goals to the team on the right. But their way of playing football is different.

Alexander Arnold is often seen as a organizer who is deeply involved in Liverpool's offensive organization at a deeper level. His crosses and long passes have created a lot of assists for the team, and his threat in set pieces is also an important part of his game.

Meanwhile, Flynnon shows threats in different ways, and he relies on speed and dribbling to create opportunities on the right. When Leverkusen was right-wingback, the Dutch was usually in a position ahead of Trent Alexander Arnold, who relied on speed and one-on-one ability to cross from offensive positions.

How will he adapt to Anne Slott's team?

Although Flynnon is undoubtedly a talented player, it is obvious that he is not a direct replacement for Trent Alexander Arnold, and Anne Slot needs to adjust the team's game style.

Some of the adjustments may involve changing the way Mohamed Salah plays on the right, who tends to cut in from the sideline.

But with Flynnon expected to be ahead of Trent Alexander Arnold, Salah may need to take a more center position so both can perform at the best.

Flynnon plays a highly offensive right-wingback role in Leverkusen, which also raises concerns about his defensive instinct. As early as 2023, Dutch national team coach Ronald Koeman expressed doubts about Flynnon's defensive ability, the Dutch coach often chose to let Flynnon play the right winger in his team.

But after joining Liverpool, the Reds have long been able to share the defensive responsibility for Alexander Arnold. Anne Slott hopes to create a similar balanced system that allows Flynnon to display his offensive talent in the offensive third zone.

It is not easy to replace Alexander Arnold, but considering Flynnon's strength, offensive data and reasonable value, it is not difficult to understand why Liverpool regards him as his first important signing this summer.