Finding a Right-Back
The market isn't great, guys.
So given the lack of news surrounding the club scene of late, I would’ve liked to dedicate a series to finding a player for Liverpool right about now. Those posts always tend to go down well on this Substack.
But until a new data source emerges from the ashes of FBref.com, that sort of content is going to be difficult to produce. It’s a big shame, but we are where we are.
Nevertheless, we can still delve into specific markets. We’ve talked about wingers. We talked about centre-backs earlier this year. And this time around, we’re doing right-backs.
So shoutout to The Anfield Wrap for this one, who are willing to spend the GDP of a small country on StatsBomb data every season. The premium stuff. I record a weekly show with them — The Trends — and last week, we dedicated some time finding a right-back.
Now, I’ve said before the market isn’t great. This is something I delved into on this Substack 12 months ago when Liverpool signed Jeremie Frimpong. At the time, I wasn’t sold on the Dutchman, but I grew more in favour of the move upon inspection of the alternatives out there.
Well, that hasn’t changed much. Like, I can see why Denzel Dumfries apparently made Richard Hughes’ to-do list. He’s a wing-back and he’s 30 years old. I would’ve been largely against the Reds signing him. But again, look at the market. It’s bad.
That truth is exactly why I’ve been so keen on Pedro Porro. An actual right-back who can pass the ball and doesn't have any grey hairs yet. But he signed a new contract at Tottenham Hotspur just a few weeks ago.
It’s also worth noting Liverpool’s right-back department is weird before even thinking about the market. Conor Bradley is good and youthful but rarely available, and Frimpong is a more dangerous option than most players, at least, but you wouldn’t want him starting every single week.
If Hughes could guarantee the fitness of both across the entire campaign, I don’t think we’d be having this conversation. But Bradley is that unreliable — and Frimpong is so extreme — that Andoni Iraola might need another option just to be safe.
Maybe the Spaniard could use a centre-back there. Maybe Curtis Jones stays at the club and becomes a temporary fix. But if Hughes wants a genuine right-back, he’s going to have to roll the dice.
So regarding the data, we had access to Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Champions League numbers from last season. No Ligue 1 or Serie A. Not perfect, but we deal with what we’ve got.
We started with 2,111 players. To narrow down the search, we added a few super basic filters. Minimum 700 minutes played. Right-backs and right wing-backs only. Aged 26 or under.
Guess how many players left? From over 2,000 to just 53. Yes, fifty three. No metrics yet. No bar to jump. Just basics. Below, you’ll find a few players who we liked, and I use that term very loosely.
Not great, right? To change the results, we played with the age filter to look at players over the age of 26. I mean, if Dumfries was a genuine target at 30, maybe Hughes is willing to adjust for this spot.
Slightly more players this time, 56. You’ll probably recognise more of the names in the sample, too. But don’t forget, we’re talking about Liverpool here. You’re supposed to be elite if you’re at Anfield.
If I had to bet, I think Hughes will go down the route of a short-term fix given the funds dedicated to Frimpong just 12 months ago, and the fact Bradley is genuinely good.
The make-up of that short-term fix remains to be seen. Liverpool could add another centre-back to their ranks and use Jérémy Jacquet out there. They could trial Trey Nyoni in the spot. They could target someone like Lutsharel Geertruida to cover centre-back and right-back at once. Or they could sign an older head, an alternative to Dumfries.
Porro was my favourite, and I like Malo Gusto, too. But if you’re signing either of those guys, you’re spending more and thus making the decision to acquire a new starter. I mean, how would Bradley feel?
Given the age of Dumfries, his £17m release clause at Inter Milan and the fact Iraola technically already has two right-backs in his squad, I think Hughes will be looking at this as a £20m need. Like, Kostas Tsimikas arrived for less than £12m for a similar reason in 2020.
I don’t think this transfer decides Liverpool’s upcoming campaign per se, but it does have the potential to derail it. Let’s see what £20m gets you in 2026.
Unfortunately, due to his injuries, “how would Bradley feel” should not fit into this equation. With the current state of the squad, it would feel very irresponsible to me to half measure the RB position on the off chance Bradley can maintain fitness. Chelsea added Gusto when they still had Reece James, and with all due respect to Bradley, he hasn’t shown Reece James ceiling either. LFC need to bring in the best player possible for the job and worry about the rest later.
It does feel like a fallow market generally; Everyone seems to be scrabbling for Alvarez, Diomande and Barcola as there aren't that many other options- and it seems to be the same at RB.
Just don't go for world cup hype in Spence or Wan Bissaka, this is not 2002