The dream £29m Trent Alexander-Arnold transfer replacement Liverpool could land this summer

After months of rumours, hints and assumptions, the news that Liverpool fans had been dreading has been confirmed: Trent Alexander-Arnold will leave Anfield on a free this summer as he seeks out a new challenge, likely with Real Madrid.

It leaves Liverpool with a considerable headache. Having failed to extend his contract before teams like Real could begin to tempt him, they not only have a vacancy to fill in the first team, but less money with which to do so than had he been sold for his considerable market value.

Conor Bradley’s relatively recent and rapid rise gives Arne Slot an option within the current squad but signing another player to compete for the right wing-back position will surely be essential. The gossip columns mostly have them competing for established (and probably expensive) players such as Jeremie Frimpong – but a newly-minted Brazilian international making waves in South America could provide a younger alternative with plenty of promise.

Why Wesley França could be Liverpool’s ideal replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold

The Daily Mirror are among a number of media outlets to have alleged Liverpool’s interest in 21-year-old right wing-back Wesley França, who has been making his name with Flamengo in his home country of Brazil and recently earned his first two caps for the national side.

A Copa do Brasil winner and a member of the Série A team of the season in 2024, Wesley is one of the most exciting young full-backs in the global game, and his dazzling dribbling skills and knack for both creating and finding open spaces down the flank have made him a man in increasing demand.

While Alexander-Arnold was perhaps best regarded for his precise passing range, Wesley is at his best with the ball at his feet. Blessed with a box of tricks and the chutzpah required to use them, Wesley is just as happy dribbling inside towards midfield as he is haring down the wing, making him a defender’s nightmare – he can beat his man at any time on both sides.

With a strong burst of pace in his feet and an eye for a spare half-yard of space, Wesley is a huge creative threat down his wing and while he isn’t providing the last pass as often as Alexander-Arnold does (Wesley was responsible for two assists in the 2024 league season), he is contributing immense amounts to his team’s work in the attacking phase and is directly involved in a gradually increasing volume of shooting chances.

In short, while Wesley is not an entirely similar player to Alexander-Arnold, he has much of the same dynamism and the ability to turn defence into attack at remarkable speed. One would imagine that Mohamed Salah would love to have him galloping down the flank behind him.

The weakness that could make Wesley the wrong man for the job

Aside from his inexperience, of course, Wesley does have his weaknesses – and much like Alexander-Arnold himself, he can be exposed at the back at times, especially due to his positioning. During his first start for Brazil – a 4-1 thumping at the hands of Argentina – the youngster’s positional sense was exposed on several occasions, most notably for the second goal of the night when he failed to keep track of Enzo Fernández’s run into the box, letting the Chelsea midfielder in for an easy finish when a less callow defender might have dealt with the situation.

Given that Liverpool have been walking the tightrope between Alexander-Arnold’s attacking contributions and his frailties at the back quite successfully for many years now, that may not put the club off all that much. Wesley has much to learn but a natural skill set and level of technical quality that can’t be taught. Some patience with his positional game might be required, but seems likely to pay off long-term.

Wesley should be cheaper than some of his more senior alternatives, too. Where most of the rumours surrounding a player like Frimpong put his price at around £50m, it’s claimed that Wesley would be available for a maximum of €35m (£29m). In a busy summer in which Liverpool are expected to try to sign a striker, left-back and centre-back as well, the price tag could be a key tie-breaker.

The biggest debate is whether Liverpool should be prepared to defend their trophy with two very inexperienced right-backs in the form of Wesley and Bradley. Both have aspects of the game which need to develop, and neither offers assurances of consistent quality, especially given that Wesley has never played outside of Brazil before.

But his talent is immense and undeniable, and he does seem to be somewhere on the shortlist – a high-risk option, perhaps, especially in the short term, but with the chance of immense rewards down the line. Wesley, with the ball at his feet and a defender backpedalling in front of him, is already a formidable player.