Liverpool are not expected to prioritise a move for a new right-back in the summer transfer window, despite Trent Alexander-Arnold’s impending departure to Real Madrid.

Alexander-Arnold is expected to bid farewell to Anfield at the end of the season, having helped Liverpool in their record-equalling 20th league title. His proposed contract in Spain is likely to see a significant pay rise, although it won’t challenge Madrid’s top earners.

The big question for Liverpool is how they replace a player consistently considered over the last few years to be one of the best full-backs in world football, especially having not taken a transfer fee.

But while Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong and Feyenoord’s Lutsharel Geertruida have been linked with a move to Merseyside, Liverpool have other plans.

Reported by Sky Sports and The Athletic, the intention is to put faith in Conor Bradley as their new primary right-back moving forward.

The home-grown Northern Ireland international has generally impressed whenever he has filled in for Alexander-Arnold during injury absences over the past 18 months and is the most cost effective option because it means not dipping into the transfer market.

Liverpool don’t have another senior right-back in the squad, but either Jarell Quansah or Joe Gomez, both of whom are linked with summer exits, could be granted a new lease of life as cover in a new position, instead of being viewed as surplus to requirements at centre-back.

Despite winning the Premier League title this season, the squad is still almost exclusively the one that Jurgen Klopp left behind 12 months ago and needs re-energising if Arne Slot is to follow up this season’s success in the future. Positions other than right-back, notably up front, on the wings and left-back, the latter where Andrew Robertson is beginning to fade, are more pressing.

Liverpool refrained from ‘panic buying’ a midfielder last summer, turning down the chance to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain before he joined Manchester United. Instead, the better idea was seen to utilise what they had by giving Ryan Gravenberch a season-defining new role. So developing existing squad players into starters is tried and tested for Slot and his staff.