£21m Alexander-Arnold replacement identified as two rival Premier League admirers emerge

The looming prospect of Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool at the end of his contract has prompted the club to start identifying new targets for the right-back position.

One option to have been unearthed from Liverpool’s shortlist is the versatile Sevilla star, Juanlu Sanchez, with reports now surfacing with claims that the Reds are interested in one of LaLiga’s breakout stars.

According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool have included Juanlu on their shortlist of targets at right-back, aware that Sevilla could be open to his sale next summer.

Juanlu is only under contract in Andalusia until 2026, so Sevilla may have to cash in on him a year before then. The report claims their asking price would be €25m (around £21m/$28m).

Liverpool are tipped to be keeping tabs on Juanlu’s situation, but they are not the only ones. Arsenal and West Ham United are also mentioned in the update as interested parties.

At the age of just 21, though, Juanlu cannot match Alexander-Arnold’s experience. On that note, Liverpool have not given up hope of tying down their vice-captain and academy success story to a longer deal.

While things are currently quiet on the Alexander-Arnold contract front, Liverpool are expected to hold talks with the 25-year-old later in the season, since he is due to become a free agent by the end of it.

Real Madrid have been heavily linked with a swoop for the England international in the New Year if Liverpool fail to secure his commitment to new terms.

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Battle for Juanlu heats up

Recent reports from Spain have also claimed Manchester United could be in contention for Juanlu’s signature, but there has been no mention of them in CaughtOffside‘s version of events.

Interestingly, Spanish sources have also suggested Real Madrid themselves could be in the race for Juanlu, which is certainly intriguing given the implications for the Alexander-Arnold saga.

It must be stressed that respected sources such as Fabrizio Romano have confirmed that Alexander-Arnold’s priority is to continue at Liverpool, and the feeling within the club is mutual.

Alexander-Arnold has spent his entire career so far at Liverpool, recording 317 appearances and 102 goal contributions.

He would be eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid from January, but don’t expect Liverpool to let him go without a fight before then.

That said, it is only natural for a club of their stature to be keeping track of potential successors, since losing a player of his calibre isn’t something they would accept lightly.

Liverpool advised to prioritise Van Dijk deal

Alexander-Arnold is one of three Liverpool players currently due to reach the end of their contract in June. The others, of course, are Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.

Obviously, it is not ideal for Liverpool to be faced with the prospect of losing their captain, vice-captain and fifth all-time top scorer in one fell swoop.

But if they had to prioritise one of the three, former defender Mark Lawrenson believes it should be Van Dijk they focus on first.

“He is the big one for me in terms of keeping them,” Lawrenson said in a recent interview. “They have to keep Van Dijk because you cannot get a replacement for him. I don’t know anybody who would be a replacement.”

One would-be successor, though, is Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi, who reportedly harbours ambitions to join a club of Liverpool’s stature.

For the time being, Liverpool’s focus will remain on any upcoming negotiations with the players they already have: precisely Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Van Dijk.

Who is Juanlu Sanchez?

While Alexander-Arnold has become a household name in recent years, Liverpool fans could be forgiven for not knowing too much about Juanlu yet.

Although he made his Sevilla debut almost three years ago, in December 2021, it was only last season – after 12 months in the Segunda Division with Mirandes – that he broke into their first team on a regular basis.

Able to play as a winger or as a full-back, Juanlu earned 37 appearances last season, six of which were in the Champions League (including a full 90 minutes against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium).

He scored his first senior Sevilla goal in January, during a Copa Del Rey match. It was just the start of what has been a dream 2024 for him, which also included winning the men’s Olympic football tournament with Spain’s under-23s, for whom he came on in the gold medal match.

Since then, he has been developing his game further at club level, even featuring in central midfield on a couple of occasions for Los Nervionenses.

In theory, that tactical aptitude could make him a good successor to Alexander-Arnold, who refined his game as a hybrid midfielder/right-back last season.

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