Trent Alexander-Arnold has received support to return to Liverpool amid worries over Conor Bradley’s fitness. The right-back position has presented difficulties for the Reds since Alexander-Arnold’s departure to Real Madrid last summer. Summer signing Jeremie Frimpong has faced injury setbacks, whilst Bradley will spend the rest of the season on the sidelines following knee surgery.

Arne Slot has been forced to adapt, deploying Joe Gomez and midfielders Wataru Endo, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai on the right flank of the defence at different stages. Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold’s challenging first season in Madrid, where he has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter, has fuelled suggestions that he might rejoin his boyhood club.

That prospect has backing from former Reds right-back Glen Johnson, who also holds Bradley in high regard.

He told Boyle Sport: “Who would be my choice to be Liverpool’s starting right-back next season? You’d love to see Trent back, of course you would.”

Should Alexander-Arnold not return, Johnson believes Bradley can claim the position permanently, provided he can overcome his fitness issues.

He continued: “In terms of the future of Liverpool, I think as long as he comes back fit, Conor Bradley for me, as long as he can recover from that injury.

“Obviously, it’s a nasty one. As long as he can get back to fitness and get games under his belt, match fitness, confidence, and kick on from his previous best, then I think you’ve got a fantastic right-back there.

“Bradley looks more athletic, stronger, with more desire to defend, but keen to get forward in attacks as well. So I think, all round, he would be the man for me.”

Johnson also believes Frimpong has a role to play, adding: “Against certain teams that are going to sit back and need to be broken down, then Jeremie Frimpong could be the answer for certain home games and things like that.”