Trent Alexander-Arnold has been talking about his two new teammates Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, who have the qualities to transform his game.
The Premier League witnessed a new version of Trent Alexander-Arnold in April. With Jürgen Klopp in desperate search of consistent results and performances at Anfield, he instructed his players to make quite a significant change when in possession of the ball by adopting a new attacking shape.
Liverpool continued to use 4-3-3 on the defensive side of the game but with the ball under control, the Reds started to use a new-look 3-2-5 structure, with Alexander-Arnold expected to drift into the middle of the park to play alongside Fabinho. The tactical shift delivered a real upturn in form on Merseyside, with Liverpool going 10 games unbeaten at the end of the campaign.
With the new season scheduled to start in around a month, many supporters are expecting to see the midfield version of Alexander-Arnold once again next term, and he could be set to evolve even further. So far this summer, Klopp has added Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to his ranks for a combined fee of $123m (£95m/€112m), with both players set to boost his engine room.
Liverpool has been weak in midfield over the past year, but the club’s two latest signings should address that concern, with the duo possessing attacking intent, creativity and remarkable technical ability when playing in confined spaces. Alexander-Arnold knows exactly what to expect from his new teammates as he meets them for the first time this week.
Speaking to Sky Sports this week, the Scouse defender was asked about the pair, and he quickly praised them. “Two technically excellent players who can receive the ball and play with the ball,” he said. “For the players like me who enjoy passing the ball, they’re dream players ahead of me.”
Indeed, Alexander-Arnold is a master at playing subtle passes through the lines of the opposition. He is known for his special passing range when in possession and since becoming a makeshift midfielder of sorts, he’s showcased a tendency to find his teammates in small spaces with short passes.
In fact, in the Premier League last season, only one player in the whole of the division averaged more line-breaking passes than Liverpool’s number 66, and that was Enzo Fernández, who joined Chelsea in the middle of the campaign for around $135m (£105m/€120m).
Alexander-Arnold averaged 10.8 line-breaking passes per 90 minutes, but many of those balls were received by Jordan Henderson, who was occupying a role that wasn’t overly suited to his qualities. The Reds captain is a functional presence who is more at home when playing in deeper areas, which is why he was prone to looking uncomfortable receiving passes in the final third.