BBC pundits agree Klopp has to do something radically different with £49m man
Jermaine Jenas and Leon Osman were broadly in agreement over a potential positional switch for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The pundits urged Jurgen Klopp to push the England international into the middle of the park following a stunning performance against Fulham.
“I think Jurgen Klopp’s got a decision to make soon with him,” the former Tottenham star spoke on BBC MOTD2.
“Moments like this. Local lad, playing the way that he’s playing, scoring winners… he needs to be in the centre of the midfield. I just think it’s time to get him in there.
“I totally understand the concept of him coming from a right-back position allows him to be free and maybe gives him the ability to do what he wants to do from a free-role type position.
“But he does it well enough for England. I’d stick him in there.”
Leon Osman agreed on the matter, adding: “I think it’s time. The benefits of what you get. You’ve seen all of his best clips of when he’s picking the ball up centrally. I don’t think we saw a clip of when he was coming back from the right-back position.
“I think his contributions are better, he’s more dangerous against the opposition and you can see Jurgen Klopp is trying to get him in there as much as possible.”
The Academy graduate (valued at £48.9m, according to Football Transfers’ unique valuation system) initially appeared to put the hosts into the lead with a superb free-kick (which was eventually ruled as an own goal) and had the final say in the game with a late winner in the second-half.
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Is it time to make the move?
It’s long been accepted – though we’ve certainly resisted the idea here at Empire of the Kop! – that Trent’s abilities could lend themselves well to a midfield role.
Whether it would truly get the best out of him, however, remains to be seen. There’s also the question of what we would do with the vacant right-back slot.
Joe Gomez, able deputy as he is, is better suited to a central defensive role; we’d then have to entrust either one of Conor Bradley or Calvin Ramsay – both of whom are inexperienced.
It’s quite the conundrum for Jurgen Klopp and Co., though it would at least add even further depth to a much-improved midfield department.
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